


I'm All In For You

by TayVengeance



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: 24k, Alchemy, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hotshot - Freeform, M/M, SO, Swearing, Topp Dogg - Freeform, all in Au, bangtan boys - Freeform, but it's warranted because it's like the end of the world, i mention Zico, i might, i'll also describe the zombie-like creatures, idk if i'll do more with him, if you ain't into that, monsta x - Freeform, okay lit i think that's all the clans that will have a big role in this fic, probably a lot of fighting in the future, probably aliens later?, there will be lots of swearing, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-06-10 04:39:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6940159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TayVengeance/pseuds/TayVengeance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Apocalyptic AU that kind of follows what happens in the All In video, except it doesn't really at all? Idk man, I'm bad at summaries. It's gonna be a lot of Hyungwon and Minhyuk in terrible situations, and there is also alchemy, so that's cool right?</p><p>After watching the All In video, my secret ship of Hyungwon and Minhyuk became real, and I cried and decided to write this. Let's see how it goes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: A little bit of background

 

With as many books as there are about the Apocalypse, none of them actually prepare you for what happens when The End really comes.

There had been signs that The End was coming for a few years before it actually came, which gave everyone time to prepare as best as they could. This meant people were sending their children out for mandatory military training at younger ages, making sure there were more able-bodied soldiers to spread around Korea.

North and South had no meaning anymore, once The Resistance formed and took out the government. (This was happening in many countries as The Apocalypse neared, and small militant groups were sprouting up everywhere.) Differences were cast aside as living day-to-day became a battle of life and death. Very little refugee groups remained as people constantly died of quickly spreading diseases and natural disasters. Continent structures varied as land masses broke off, or were pulled under by massive tsunamis. All in all, the world population dropped down to 1 billion in about a week, and it was only getting smaller by the day. The World Health Organization stated that by the end of May, around 10 million people would die from the various disease outbreaks. The world population was shrinking, and people were growing scared, willing to do about anything to survive.

The X clan learned this the hard way, being away from their families for military training when it happened. The 7 boys lost everyone they loved when D-Day came, since Seoul ended up being one of the places hit the hardest. They all escaped military training, returning to Seoul only to find it was completely destroyed. Those who were around in the city had traveled over after everything happened, scavenging through rubble and dead bodies for commodities to survive. Clans developed in habitable spaces, usually to protect each other from whatever else could happen, but also to protect each other from the Hostiles.

The Hostiles were humans affected by the Apocalypse in a negative way, becoming infected with a strain of virus that caused them to attack anyone in their sight. Hostile clans usually existed on the outskirts of cities, ready to attack anyone trying to leave. The worst part of the Hostiles, were the fact they were still human and could blend in if they deemed necessary, which was how they had been taking out smaller clans on the outskirts. A run-in with a Hostile clan lead to death 99.9% of the time.

Since the X clan was made up of ex-military trainees, they were able to fend for themselves – even against the Hostiles. A couple members were even well-versed in alchemy. Hyunwoo was the oldest of the boys and had the most training behind him, so he was named leader of the clan; while Jooheon and Kihyun were both named second in command because of their Alchemist titles. Minhyuk, Hyungwon, Hoseok, and Changkyun all followed their friends, offering their expert hand-to-hand combat skills and their mastery of close-range weaponry.


	2. A Hostile Situation

 

Running. Hyungwon recently found the activity being forced on him more often than he would like. He made a mental note to hound Hyunwoo for continuously making him human bait or designated thief. He hoped these random brush flowers he was stealing from another clan were worth all the hassle, because after being shot at once and nearly beaten to death, there was no way he would ever be volunteering his skills to Hyunwoo again.

Hyungwon ducked into a random building – more like a random pile of rubble – and prayed the guy chasing him wouldn’t be able to find him. He dove into a corner and hid for good measure, listening for the man’s footsteps as he entered the building. Figuring it would be best to stay as silent as possible, he closed his eyes and held his breath. The man’s footsteps neared his hiding spot, but he didn’t get close enough to reach Hyungwon before a blood-curdling screech echoed through the building. _‘Fucking Hostiles? This deep into the city? Okay, fuck being the errand boy, Hyunwoo can suck my ass. I’m not going through this shit anymore.’_ From his hiding spot, he heard the other guy bolt from the building, and pulled himself up and out of his nook to make a mad dash out as well.

As his luck would have it, the Hostile was awaiting his exit – probably having smelled his presence beforehand – and jumped on him as he tried to escape. This particular Hostile had given up its human form for something much more grotesque and macabre.

Hyungwon struggled under the flailing limbs of the Hostile, trying his best to dodge its jagged nails and teeth. He caught a glimpse of its face -- or what used to be its face -- and yelped as he stared into its pupil-less eyes. Its skin looked as if it had melted on its face, covering up the nose area and half of its left eye. Hyungwon almost forgot he was fighting for his life as he took in the creature’s features, and nearly missed dodging its mouth as it came crashing down next to his face. He took the opportunity to push its head down into the dirt and wriggle out of its grasp.

Hyungwon stood up and grabbed the bag he dropped when the Hostile pounced on him, but was pulled back down as the Hostile grabbed onto his ankle. “Shit!” he yelled as he crashed into the ground. The Hostile yanked him closer by his ankle, and Hyungwon used his free foot to kick the thing in the face. It let out a screech as his foot made contact, and let go long enough for Hyungwon to crawl away, stand up, and run. He pulled his rifle out of the bag, made sure it was loaded, and shot at the monster’s feet. This would in no way kill the thing, but it would definitely buy him enough time to get away and put some distance between them. _‘Hoseok gets the next errand, this is fucking bullshit.’_

Hyungwon climbed up the rubble building, hoping to get high enough by the time the Hostile exited, that it wouldn’t notice him anymore. Screeching could be heard from underneath him, which made Hyungwon pause in his climbing and search for his attacker on the ground. Unfortunately for Hyungwon, the Hostile could still smell him, and it let out another screech as it jumped up onto the pile of rubble and began to climb after Hyungwon. “You gotta be shitting me!” he exclaimed, grabbing the gun off his back and aiming at the Hostile’s head. It was moving too constantly for him to get a good shot, so Hyungwon decided the best course of action would be to cut the thing’s head clean off. He replaced the gun on his back, and pulled a Katana out of his bag. While the idea of fighting it was not appealing to him, Hyungwon figured it was the best course of action considering the circumstances. It wouldn’t stop attacking him until it’s dead.

As the Hostile neared him, he let go of the beam that was supporting him, allowing himself to freefall and grab the Hostile on the way down. He made sure to position the abomination between him and the ground, hoping that the impact would at least stun it enough for him to decapitate it without complication. As luck would have it, the landing did jar the creature enough for him to chop its head clean off. Grabbing the bag that had once again lost his grasp during the fall, Hyungwon kicked the Hostile’s head away from the lifeless body and started limping back towards their base.

Luckily for him, their base was only a few blocks south of where he had the run-in with the Hostile. Hyungwon ended up walking back over to the rubble to find a metal rod that was long and thick enough to support his weight as a walking stick, needing the extra support after having his ankle so violently treated. Limping along the road, he began to think about why he had left the base in the first place, stopping a moment to reach into the bag and examine one of the flowers. _‘These fucking flowers better be worth all this trouble,_ ’ he thought, growing increasingly bitter about the errand. He replaced the flower back into the bag, and continued walking back to the base.

As he hobbled back, he could hear the far off screeches of Hostiles filling the general thick silence that seemed to linger in the air. Without the usual white noise of the city, everything seemed so lonely and quiet. Hyungwon thought about how he hadn’t had this much quiet time to himself since he was placed in solitary confinement for an hour after accidentally shooting his training commander with a bebe gun. He chuckled at the memory, and finally came to a stop at the door to the base. They had spray-painted a big X on the screen, so that others knew the building was claimed by their clan.

“Hyunwoo, I have some very choice words for you!” He yelled as he entered the base. He set his makeshift walking stick down against the wall and walked into the open ‘foyer’ area. “Also I’m not going to be your errand boy anymore. This is bullshit.”

Minhyuk was the first one to greet him as he entered, “Wow, you look like shit.”

“Yah, fighting a Hostile kinda has that effect on a person.”

“You said there was a Hostile?” Hyunwoo questioned as he made his way over to where Hyungwon was.

“Yeah, and not the easy kind. This one was all gross and zombie-like. It was all lanky and hunched over, and its hands and feet had long jagged nails that just made them like claws. Then its face was all deformed, like someone had poured hot wax all over it. Hyunwoo, it didn’t have pupils. What the fuck is that about? Ugh, and it also reeked of decay -- and I’m pretty sure there was bits of human flesh caught in its teeth, which I’d like to mention were also gross and jagged. Also, it twisted my left ankle.”

“Oh my god, ew. I’m sorry you had to go through that. Hey, let me patch you up, yah?” Minhyuk offered, as he helped the younger boy into their designated home hospital room.

Hyunwoo followed the two, “You got the flowers though, right?”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes and threw his bag at the eldest, “Take the damn flowers. They caused me enough trouble today.”

“Hyungwon, I’m sorry you went through so much today. I promise I won’t send you out alone on a mission again,” Hyunwoo apologized. The younger boy just waved him off as Minhyuk began his examination.

“We’ll have to ice this,” Minhyuk said as he observed Hyungwon’s ankle. “I’m also going to go ahead and wrap it up.” His hands came up to Hyungwon’s face, holding the younger’s head between both his hands, “You also split your lip pretty bad. Goodness, the entire right side of your face is swollen. What happened to you?”

“Well, you see, I was caught at first stealing their flowers, and they beat me up. Like, pretty bad, as you can tell. I managed to escape with the bag full of flowers, but ended up being chased down by one of their guys into a building. But like, this building was literally a pile of rubble. So I hid from him behind some smashed concrete pillars, and that’s when the Hostile came out. The guy left me and the Walking Dead to tango with each other, and completely forgot about the flowers I stole. Yay me. So I tried to run, but the thing took me down, and I couldn’t fight it, so I broke free and ran out and up the pile of rubble, but guess what? It fucking followed me up the building. So, I did the rational thing and fell off my high perch, taking the motherfucker down with me, and sliced its head off.” Hyungwon was out of breath after telling his hero’s tale.

Minhyuk chuckled and dipped a piece of cloth in water, wiping the dried blood off of Hyungwon’s face. “Wow, that’s rough buddy,” he commented, being sure to be very careful around each cut and bruise, so as not to hurt his friend even more. “I knew I should have gone with you.”

“Minhyuk-“

“No, I shouldn’t have let you go out there alone. That was a reckless decision I let you make. From now on, we go together or we don’t go at all. Got that, Hyungwon?” Minhyuk put his hand around Hyungwon’s neck, and tilted his head up with his other hand to meet his own eyes.

Hyungwon met his gaze and sighed, seeing how serious Minhyuk was being. “Yah. I got it.”

“Good. Now come with me. Jooheon can make some ice for us.”

Hyungwon smiled at the older boy as he wrapped an arm around Minhyuk’s shoulder, using him as a crutch as they walked to Jooheon’s room.

“Yah, Jooheon, we need you to make some ice,” Minhyuk demanded as they entered the alchemist’s room.

“I don’t just ‘make’ things, Minhyuk. It’s called equivalent exchange. I simply create things out of other things. Bring me some water and I can make you some ice.” Minhyuk rolled his eyes and sat Hyungwon down on the bed, leaving to grab some water. “So,” Jooheon began, crossing his legs and taking in the beaten and bruised Hyungwon. “I take it you had a rough morning.”

“Rough doesn’t begin to cover it.”

“Yikes.”

“Here’s your damn water,” Minhyuk said as he entered the room again, shoving a cup of water towards Jooheon. He then took a seat next to Hyungwon, pulling the younger boy’s legs over his lap.

Jooheon smiled and patted Minhyuk on the head. He then turned to the water and held his hands over the cup, muttering something as he worked his magic. Within moments, he was handing a block of ice to Minhyuk to hold against Hyungwon’s ankle. “Don’t say I never did anything for ya,” he said with a wink.

Hyunwoo entered the room with a bundle of the flowers Hyungwon stole, “Jooheon, here is a few of the flowers. You said you could make a potion out of them?”

Jooheon nodded, “It is a special kind of potion. It’ll heal any internal injuries if ingested, or any external injuries if used outwardly. With this amount of flowers, I can make each person a small vial for emergencies. Otherwise, we can eat the flowers to restore health in small amounts.”

Hyunwoo looked over at Hyungwon, “See, that is why these flowers were so important.”

Hyungwon broke his gaze from Hyunwoo back to Minhyuk and muttered to the boy in front of him, “Says the man that didn’t risk life and limb to procure the flowers.”

Minhyuk smirked at his friend, “Ah, my brave warrior. He knows not your struggle.”

Hyungwon lightly slaps Minhyuk for his comment, mirroring the boy’s smirk.

“Okay guys,” Hoseok said as he, Kihyun, and Changkyun entered the room. “You know, we have been throwing around the idea of having codenames all morning,”

“Ah, here we go again,” Jooheon muttered.

“… **AND** ,” Hoseok continued, glaring at Jooheon, “the three of us agree that it might be useful to have codenames. That way, a couple of us can go about using our names without giving away our identities.”

“Count me out of anything that requires me going out alone on errands on behalf of the clan,” Hyungwon said, raising his arms up beside his head.

“I’m fine without a codename,” Minhyuk said from Hyungwon’s side, still icing the boy’s ankle.

“I think being your leader means I should have one. Call me Shownu instead of Hyunwoo.”

“You were quick to comply, _Shownu_. Almost like you’ve been mulling over this for a while…” Jooheon commented.

“Yah, a good leader is prepared for anything,” Shownu defended.

“Well, I don’t want a codename either. I like my name,” Jooheon declared.

“I’m gonna follow my fellow alchemist’s move and keep my name as well,” Kihyun agreed.

“Okay then. That leaves me and Changkyun. Whaddya say, dongsaeng?”

“Call me I.M,” he said.

“I.M it is. And I’m going to go by Wonho.”

“And I promise no more outside errands for Hyungwon. Those will be for I.M and Wonho now.”

“Woo! I’m off the hook!” Hyungwon shouted, throwing his fists in the air. He brought one hand down and pointed a finger at the eldest boy, “Never again, Hyunwoo.”

The other boys all laughed at his enthusiasm. After they all calmed down, Hyungwon was prompted -- after Changkyun bluntly asked what the hell happened to his face --  to tell his day’s adventure to the others. They all gave him high fives when he told them about how he killed the Hostile, which put him in a better mood.

Once their business in Jooheon’s room was finished, Minhyuk helped Hyungwon to their room to get ready for bed. Even though there were more than enough rooms in the building for each boy to have his own ‘bedroom,’ Hyungwon couldn’t bare the thought of sleeping alone in these circumstances. Minhyuk, being the good friend that he was, offered to room with him in order to make Hyungwon feel safe and comfortable.

Minhyuk did a lot to make sure Hyungwon felt safe and comfortable. He was always with Hyungwon, even before the Apocalypse, which was what helped put Hyungwon at ease after everything happened. Now, he made sure to keep close to his friend in case Hyungwon was to have a mental breakdown -- which happened only once before, after first hearing news of Seoul.

“Yah, Hyungwon,” Minhyuk directed towards his friend. “Take the side of the bed closest to the wall tonight. I don’t want you rolling off and hurting yourself even more.”

Hyungwon chuckled, carefully pulling off his bloody, torn clothes off his body, “Whatever you say, hyung.”

Minhyuk smiled and handed Hyungwon a clean -- well, they were clean enough -- shirt and pants to change into. Hyungwon was struggling trying to take his pants off, so Minhyuk ended up assisting him with replacing them.

“Ah, hyung. I knew I could convince you to take off my pants one of these days,” Hyungwon joked as he finished pulling up his “clean” pants.

Minhyuk smacked him on the back of the head, “Yah, Hyungwon. That was not appropriate. Don’t make a dirty joke to the guy you’re about to share a bed with.”

Hyungwon just smiled at the older boy and crawled into bed. Minhyuk followed suit, and soon both boys were situated under the old blanket they found in one of the base’s rooms. The boys made sure to keep room between themselves, and turned to face opposite of the other.

“So,” Minhyuk decided to fill the silence with conversation, since he wasn’t quite tired yet. “You killed a Hostile on your own today.”

Hyungwon smiled, “Yeah. I didn’t think I would be able to, but I did. I honestly thought I was going to die twice today.”

“What stopped you?” Minhyuk challenged, turning to face his friend.

Hyungwon paused for a moment before turning to meet Minhyuk eyes, “I couldn’t leave my best friend behind. Not after all you’ve done for me.”

Minhyuk smiled, “Good, because if I found out you died, I’d have to find your body and revive you to kill you myself.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes, “You’d be too devastated to do anything.”

Minhyuk’s hand once again found the back of Hyungwon’s head, “Hey, don’t disrespect your elder like that.”

Hyungwon laughed and retaliated by poking Minhyuk in the side a few times, knowing his friend was ticklish. Minhyuk couldn’t help the laughter that escaped his lips, and brought his knees up to his chest in hopes of blocking Hyungwon. Hyungwon wasn’t ready to accept failure and pulled on Minhyuk’s arm, dragging him closer to his side of the bed. Once he had Minhyuk where he wanted him, he threw a leg over and straddled Minhyuk, making sure his friend couldn’t escape. At that point, Minhyuk had given up trying to fight Hyungwon and gave in to his friend’s hands. Hyungwon grabbed at Minhyuk’s sides, knowing that’s where he was most sensitive, and watched as the older boy burst into laughter.  

“Yah, Hyungwon, stop it!” Minhyuk cried through his laughter

“You can’t stop me, hyung!” Hyungwon exclaimed, moving his hands from Minhyuk’s sides to his neck. “Plus I know all your prime ticklish spots.”

Minhyuk scrunched his shoulders up as Hyungwon’s fingers grazed his neck, “Ah, stop abusing me!”

Hyungwon was the one laughing this time, “But I need to distract myself from the horrors of the world! I almost _died_ today, hyung! Let me hear you laugh!”

Minhyuk smiled and sat up, pulling Hyungwon into a tight hug, “Ah, you are a good person, Hyungwon-ah. You don’t deserve all the misfortune that fell upon you.”

“Neither do you, Minhyuk-ah,” Hyungwon replied, nuzzling his face into the crook of Minhyuk’s neck.

The two stayed in this position for a few minutes before Minhyuk patted Hyungwon’s head, “Okay. You had a long day and need some rest.” Minhyuk broke the hug and the two separated themselves, returning to their respective sides of the bed. Once both boys were settled under the blanket, Minhyuk momentarily rubbed Hyungwon’s back, “Goodnight Hyungwon-ah.”

Hyungwon smiled, his eyelids growing heavier with each stroke on his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, so I have been procrastinating writing, and decided to get through my writer's block by writing something completely different than usual. This monstrosity is the result! I'm going into the dark realm of post-apocalyptic literature. Please join me on this adventure. Do it for my new fave ship. 
> 
> let me know your thoughts!!! I haven't really written in this genre before, so feedback is welcome.
> 
> header photos courtesy of [my lovely friend](http://takemehyungwon.tumblr.com/)


	3. We always come out on Topp

 

Minhyuk glanced over in Hyungwon's direction. He was trying to pry open a window to a toppled convenience store, growing more and more frustrated the longer he tried to get in. The sun was growing hot in the sky and the boys were growing more annoyed with the task at hand. They had been walking around the ruined city of Seoul for about two hours now, and had only just found a place in – what used to be – the Hyehwa-dong neighbourhood they could scavenge through. The biggest drawback to taking shelter within the confines of the toppled metropolis was the fact that once the clans had scavenged through everything, they would have to find somewhere else to go for food and other necessities. They could only last for so long with what was left behind.

 

“Yah, Minhyuk, you have a go at this,” Hyungwon suggested as he failed to open the window. He stepped down from the pile of rocks he was standing on and wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand.

 

Minhyuk walked over to where his friend was and did a quick once-over on the window. He grabbed a big rock from the ground and slammed it into the glass, shattering it all over their feet. Once the glass was out of the way, the only thing that stopped them from entering the convenience store was metal bars soldered onto the frame. Minhyuk looked around the area for a metal pole strong enough to help him pry the window frame off all together. He ended up finding a steel bar on the ground, and motioned for Hyungwon to help him pry the window frame off. After three good tugs, the frame popped loose, and the two boys maneuvered through the broken glass and into the building.

 

The boys had been toting empty duffel bags with them, so once they were inside, they threw the bags on the ground and began filling them. They threw in non-perishable food, water, medicines, and clean clothing. Hyungwon also decided to grab hygienic products for them all. He figured since they hadn't cleaned themselves up in a while, it'd be a treat to be clean. With their loot, the two boys made their way back out the window to the convenience store.

 

Standing outside of the store, Minhyuk and Hyungwon realized they had to make the 2-hour journey back down to the southern part of Seoul. Hyungwon shielded his vision from the sun with his left hand and looked to the south. Minhyuk joined him, suggesting they pass through what used to be Dongdaemun Market to make their journey a little more interesting. Minhyuk grabbed Hyungwon’s hand, and the two began their return home. They were content with the silence between them, and Hyungwon took comfort in Minhyuk’s presence after his last outing. Hyungwon was grateful to Hyunwoo for letting him rest and heal for a week before sending him and Minhyuk out on a scavenging mission. He wouldn't mind going out so much if he were accompanied by another member of the clan. Having two people made fighting easier.

 

Hyungwon was also grateful that Minhyuk stayed by his side since the Hostile incident. Minhyuk who never left his side during his week of rest. Minhyuk who made sure to keep his bandages fresh. Minhyuk who soothed him when the nightmares came back. His sanity and well-being all came back to Minhyuk. His friend didn’t mind reassuring him that he was okay. Didn't mind the late nights he spent, stroking Hyungwon’s hair and singing sweet melodies under his breath to keep his night terrors at bay. In all honesty, Minhyuk would give his life to keep Hyungwon safe

 

They walked hand-in-hand in silence for a good twenty minutes, before Minhyuk turned and smiled at his best friend, “You know, I’m excited to find some nice, fresh clothing in Dongdaemun. Can you believe I have already forgotten what it feels like to wear fresh clothes?” He sighed and glanced off into the distance, his voice wavering, “It’s only been a few months, but it feels like a few years.”

 

Hyungwon stopped walking. Minhyuk turned back and looked at his friend with a concerned face. He saw a tear travel down the length of Hyungwon’s cheek. “Am I so selfish as to have forgotten them so quickly?”

 

“Hyungwon…”

 

“I’m terrible. The worst kind of human.”

 

“Yah, don’t say things like that. You’re not terrible, and you haven’t forgotten anyone. You’re coping. More importantly, you’re living. Got that? As long as you keep them here,” Minhyuk placed his hands on Hyungwon’s chest, right where his heart was, “you haven’t truly forgotten them.”

 

“Minhyuk, why am I alive?” Hyungwon looked at his friend with sad eyes, almost pleading with him to take his pain away.

 

Minhyuk pulled Hyungwon against his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around him, “Hey, don’t be like this. You are alive to help keep others safe. If you were gone... I’d probably be dead.”

 

Hyungwon’s head snapped up, and he stared into Minhyuk’s eyes, “Hyung…”

 

“Hey, enough of these mopey, depressing thoughts. Let’s keep walking, okay?” Hyungwon nodded at the older boy, and pulled out of their embrace. Minhyuk made sure to intertwine their fingers together again, squeezing Hyungwon’s hand for reassurance.

 

Half an hour of walking east of Hyehwa-dong led the boys to the remnants of the Dongdaemun Market. It was obvious that this place had been ransacked, with the broken glass everywhere and its barren state. Minhyuk knew of at least two clans taking shelter within the buildings of Dongdaemun, but he hoped they wouldn't run into them during their quick clothing stop. Hyungwon walked over to a building that was still mostly intact, and slipped through one of the broken windows. It was full of suits and slacks -- something you don't really need once the world ends.

 

“There is so much left in here,” Minhyuk exclaimed as he climbed into the store.

 

“Let's grab some just for fun,” Hyungwon suggested. “It's not like anyone else is going to come for them.” And so they set about the store looking for pieces that each of their friends could wear. Once they were satisfied with their selections, the two exited the building and kept making their way down the market street. Hyungwon suggested they find some designer clothing since “it's the apocalypse and designer doesn't mean shit but if I can loot anything I’d like it to be damn comfortable.”

 

They ended up ducking into a store a ways down, and were pleasantly surprised to find it full of clothing still. They figured a clan must be protecting this area and made it their priority to be in and out of the store before anyone could find them and cause some trouble. The last thing Hyungwon wanted right now was to get beat up again. After about five minutes of packing in clothing, they had enough for everyone back at the base and began making their way out. They had only gone about a block south before running into the biggest and toughest clan in Dongdaemun.

 

“Yah, you stealing from us?” a tall guy with pink hair -- most likely the leader, judging by the way he held himself -- snarled at the two boys.

 

Hyungwon shook his head, “No, we’re just passing through. We stopped in Hyehwa-dong for supplies and thought it would be easier to walk through here to get back to our base.”

 

One of the guys standing behind the leader scoffed and stepped forward. Hyungwon noticed that he had bleached his hair at one point, but his hair had since then grown out, showing his dark roots. Minhyuk noted that he was about the same height as Hyungwon, but definitely had more muscle mass and could easily knock them both out, “Bullshit. I can smell you two from here, and you smell like the air diffuser I have going in all the stores out here. It’s a way for me to hunt down maggots like you who think they can just run in and take what you want from us.”

 

Panic spread across Hyungwon’s face as the ten members of the Topp Dogg clan stepped forward, “Pl-please… We just-”

 

The other really tall member stepped up to Hyungwon and bent down to meet his eyes, “You steal, you pay... and I don’t mean with money.”

 

Hyungwon’s eyes went wide, just as he registered the other boy’s fist coming up to meet his left temple.

 

“Hyungwon!” Minhyuk yelled as he dropped his bag and charged at the guy that hit his friend.

 

Hyungwon staggered and held out his hand, stopping his friend from engaging, “No, Minhyuk, take our stuff and run. I’ll take these guys.” He gave his friend a smile before he turned back to the guy that punched him and returned the favor on the bridge of his nose.

 

“Hyungwon, there is no way I'm leaving you to fight ten guys alone,” Minhyuk countered. Hyungwon was already shrugging the duffel bag off his shoulder and handed it to the other boy. Minhyuk knew there was nothing he could do or say to change Hyungwon’s mind, so he grabbed the bags and started running.

 

“Yah, Xero, go after him!” The pink haired guy yelled to the guy with the bleached hair. His leader didn't need to tell him twice. He was already hot on Minhyuk’s tail the moment he started running away.

 

“Fuck,” Minhyuk muttered under his breath as he noticed Xero coming after him. There was no way he could fight him, and with two bags weighing him down he definitely couldn’t outrun him either. Running at full force, he could feel his lungs starting to burn and knew he wouldn’t be able to run at this pace for much longer. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a way to stop Xero, and gasped when he remembered his small pocketknife. With a grin on his face, Minhyuk reached into the pocket in his pants and pulled the blade out. Without so much as a backwards glance he tossed it, knowing the exact place it would make contact on his pursuer.

 

“Fuck!” Xero yelled as Minhyuk’s knife lodged itself into his right knee. He tumbled down to the ground in agony, trying to pull the knife out without destroying his knee further. Blood was oozing from the wound, and the more he pulled on the knife, the more blood escaped.

 

Minhyuk slowed his pace to look over his shoulder at Xero, smiling to himself upon seeing his target accuracy. Luckily Xero was the only one chasing him, and with him out of the way, Minhyuk was clear to make it back to base. _I swear to god if you don’t come back home, I’ll kill you myself, Hyungwon._

 

Hyungwon saw Xero run after Minhyuk and hoped that his friend would get away safely, because he knew he wasn’t getting out of Dongdaemun without some new bruises. He dodged another punch from the tall guy, and whacked the pink haired guy in the neck with his forearm. Luckily for him, only the two had engaged in fighting him, while four of the other guys were sent back to patrol and the remaining three stayed behind to make sure the two fighting Hyungwon were doing fine. That is, until Xero hobbled back with a knife stuck in his knee and a trail of blood following him. Pink haired guy yelled at the other three to get him medical attention, to which they all obeyed.

 

“You stole from us, and your friend hurt Xero? It’s not looking good for you my pal,” the pink haired guy snarled, kicking Hyungwon’s legs out from underneath him. He fell fast onto the ground, his chin hit the dirt hard, causing him to bite his tongue. “Yah, Nakta, finish up with this rat. I’m going to check on Xero.”

 

Nakta nodded his head, then landed a kick into Hyungwon’s stomach. The air left his lungs all at once, and he felt another kick meet his nose. Nakta bent over and grabbed Hyungwon by the collar of his shirt and dragged him away from Dongdaemun. Hyungwon could feel -- and taste -- the blood rushing down his face from his broken nose, and was beginning to lose his breath as his shirt collar tightened around his trachea. About a block away from where the fight started, Nakta threw Hyungwon back down, making sure his head hit the ground. “Don’t let me see you around here again, got it? I’ll kill you next time.” Hyungwon didn’t respond, he just shut his eyes in pain and squeaked when Nakta jammed the heel of his boot into his knee. “Good riddance, you rat.” With that, he turned and walked back to his base, leaving the badly beaten Hyungwon in the middle of the road.

 

Minhyuk had only ran about a kilometer away from where he left Xero when he decided to tuck the bags into the closest abandoned shop and run back for Hyungwon. He had grabbed a flower out of one of the pockets in the bag and hoped it would be enough to keep Hyungwon going long enough to get him back to Kihyun and Jooheon. It only took him about five minutes to get back to where Xero’s blood stained the ground, and another few minutes of walking brought him to a body lying in the road. “Hyungwon!” he shouted, falling onto the boy. He caressed his friend’s face in his hands and brought their foreheads together. “I’m so sorry I left you.”

 

He gently set Hyungwon’s head back down and pulled the flower from his pocket. Luckily, Hyungwon’s lips were already parted, so he was able to slip the flower into his friend’s mouth without trouble. Hyungwon’s lips slowly closed over the flower, and he struggled trying to eat it. Once Minhyuk was satisfied that his friend had taken the flower, he hoisted him onto his back and began walking back to the base.

 

When Minhyuk came across the duffle bags, he thanked Hyungwon for making them pack supplies and clothing in separate bags. It made the clothing bag much lighter than the one full of food and other supplies, thus making it easier to sling on his back along with the unconscious Hyungwon.

 

With the extra weight, it took Minhyuk three hours to get back to the base -- since he had to stop every so often to rest a bit. Hoseok was the first to notice their arrival, and rushed over to take Hyungwon from Minhyuk and rush him inside the base. Minhyuk entered the base and threw the bags onto the ground, finally free of the added weight on his back. He slumped over into the medical room, and pulled up a chair next to the bed Hoseok had set Hyungwon on. He began stroking his friend’s hair as he waited for the others to come wandering in.

 

Hyunwoo was the first to burst into the room, yelling at the others trailing behind him to back off until he assessed the damage done. “Yah, Minhyuk, tell me what happened. I need to know every detail.”

 

Minhyuk turned to the eldest, keeping his hand on Hyungwon’s head, “I don't know what happened. He made me run away.”

 

“What do you mean he made you run away?” Hyunwoo challenged.

 

“I mean, Hyungwon wouldn't let me fight the guys attacking him. He shoved the bag into my arms and pushed me away telling me to run.”

 

“Who attacked you?”

 

“Topp Dogg.”

 

“Why the _fuck_ were you in Dongdaemun?”

 

Minhyuk sighed, “We wanted to surprise you all with clean clothes.”

 

“You risked being killed by P-Goon’s clan to get clean clothes?” Hyunwoo asked, rubbing his temples in frustration. “You're both dumbasses. And _you_ just ran away?”

 

“He made me!”

 

“Fuck that! You should have thrown the bags on the ground and decked P-Goon in his smug face.”

 

“Ah, but I did throw a knife into Xero’s knee.”

 

“You injured his right-hand man? Impressive. You’re still a dumbass though.”

 

Minhyuk shrugged, “We can’t all be perfect. I brought Hyungwon back alive, didn’t I?”

 

Hyunwoo gestured to the bloody boy on the bed, “ _Barely_!”

 

“Hey, did you take a look at him yet?” Jooheon questioned from the doorway. “I want to know if I have to prepare anything for him.”

 

Hyunwoo bent over and studied Hyungwon’s face, “Broken nose, missing upper left molar… yah, hand me some scissors Minhyuk.” Minhyuk got up and grabbed some scissors off the desk on the opposite side of the room. He handed them to Hyunwoo, unsure of what the eldest needed them for. Hyunwoo took the scissors and began cutting off Hyungwon’s shirt and pants, assessing his injuries. “Possible broken ribs, and there is potential for internal bleeding. Did you give him flowers?” Hyunwoo directed the last question to Minhyuk, who nodded back at the elder boy. “He’s unconscious right now -- probably from blood-loss -- but if you two can treat him, he will wake up on the road to recovery.

 

“Hey, Minhyuk, I know you don’t want to leave him, but Kihyun and Jooheon really need to help him right now. Why don’t you help me go through the bags,” Hyunwoo suggested, offering Minhyuk his had to hoist him onto his feet and out of the medical room. Minhyuk followed the leader back into the foyer where he dropped the duffel bags. Hyunwoo grabbed a bag and unzipped it, revealing all the food and supplies inside. “Is this soap?” Hyunwoo questioned as he pulled out containers of shampoo and body wash.

 

Minhyuk shrugged, “Hyungwon wanted to feel clean.”

 

“Yeah, because showering is so easy to do during the apocalypse,” Hyunwoo replied, sarcasm laced through his speech.

 

“Hey, the Han river isn't too far from here. We can easily jump in and wash up.”

 

“Except for the fact that the Han river is flooded with Hostiles,” Hyunwoo countered. He set the bottles aside, “Don't worry, we’ll find a way to use them.” He continued rummaging through the bag, separating food from supplies and wrote everything down into his inventory pocket notebook. “So, show me all this clothing that Hyungwon nearly died for.”

 

Minhyuk rolled his eyes and opened the bag, pulling items out one at a time and making seven separate piles. Hyunwoo raised his eyebrow at the younger boy when he started pulling out suit jackets, but Minhyuk ignored his questioning gaze. He finally made eye contact with Hyunwoo as he handed him a pile of clothing, “This is all yours.”

 

Hyunwoo went through the pieces and chuckled at the suit vest, “Okay, I’m going to ask about these, but only because I am genuinely concerned as to why you two thought we would ever need suits.”

 

“We thought it would be fun! Geez, we try to do something nice for once and get ridiculed for looting soap and clothes.”

 

Hyunwoo laughed and ruffled Minhyuk’s hair, “I’m not ridiculing you, I’m just questioning the importance of all this. I do appreciate you two thinking about all of us, and your ‘trying to make the situation at hand more bearable’ way of thinking.”

 

Minhyuk smiled, “Gotta make the best of the end of the world.”

 

“Hey, Hyungwon woke up,” Kihyun said as he appeared around the corner. “He wants Minhyuk.”

 

A smile made its way across Minhyuk’s face as he and Hyunwoo followed Kihyun back into the medical room. Hyungwon was resting on the bed still, but now he was sporting bandages and wraps. He smiled and winced when Minhyuk walked into the room. “Hyung...” he croaked.

 

“Shhhh, take it easy. You had a nasty time out there,” Minhyuk ordered. He walked across the room and took a seat on the bed and began stroking his friend’s hair. “What happened?”

 

Hyungwon coughed and groaned in pain, “Nakta.”

 

Hyunwoo tensed up in the doorway, “Nakta did all this to you?” Hyungwon slowly nodded his head in response. “Those fuckers are going to pay. If I ever cross one of them, they’re dead,” Hyunwoo threatened. Minhyuk could tell from the rage in his eyes and the way his muscles went tense that Hyunwoo wasn’t bluffing about killing one of them. He made a mental note to stay off Hyunwoo’s bad side.

 

“Thanks… hyung… you… saved… me…” Hyungwon choked out, slowly reaching for Minhyuk’s hand to intertwine with his.

 

“Yah, Hyunwoo, I should go over his prognosis with you,” Jooheon said, as he pulled Hyunwoo into the hallway. “So, we were able to patch up most of him. Unfortunately that tooth will be forever missing, but you can’t see it’s gone unless you get up in his face. Also, we weren’t able to figure out a way to completely mend his ribs, so we did what we could to start the process, but he will be very uncomfortable for the next few weeks. Kihyun got the nose situation under control, so really the only thing keeping him in bed will be the ribs.”

 

Hyunwoo released the breath he had been holding and clapped Jooheon on the shoulder, “Thank you. I got so scared when I saw him, and I’m just really glad that the two of you were able to help him.”

 

“Also, I think me and Kihyun thought of a way to give us all some added protection.”

 

∆ ∆ ∆ 

 

Hyungwon wasn’t sure what time it was when he woke up again, but judging by how dark the room was and how heavy Minhyuk’s snores were, he guessed it was sometime around 2 am. He needed water, but he couldn’t just get up and grab the glass on the dresser. He nudged Minhyuk awake, and asked him to grab the water. He got up without hesitation and brought the glass over to his friend, sitting on the side of the bed as he watched his friend drink. Hyungwon smiled at him, nodding in thanks.

 

“I'm sorry I left you,” Minhyuk apologized.”

 

“I made you,” Hyungwon challenged. He looked over at his best friend and gave him a weak smile.

 

“Yah, but if I had stayed you wouldn't be in this situation.”

 

“I'm glad you're safe, hyung,” Hyungwon placed his hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder, forcing his friend to make eye contact.

 

Minhyuk smiled and pulled him into a gentle hug, “I promise I’ll do a better job protecting you. I will never bring you home bloody and broken ever again. I'm so sorry Hyungwon.” Tears were threatening to escape Minhyuk, and he was losing the willpower to choke them back.

 

Hyungwon started stroking Minhyuk’s hair as his tears started to flow, switching the comfort onto the older boy. “Shhh, Minhyuk-ah, I'm okay and you are okay. That's all that matters to me. The world may be in chaos, I may have lost my family, but as long as you are still here with me, I can continue living. Don't promise me protection, promise me you’ll live another day and remain by my side through all this. I need you, hyung.”

 

Minhyuk nodded into Hyungwon’s chest, unable to form words through his tears. The two boys remained like this for what seemed to Hyungwon like ten minutes. When Minhyuk finally pulled away, he ruffled the hair on Hyungwon’s head and gave him a smile, “Your hyung is here for you, and has no plans of leaving you any time soon. I promise that.” Hyungwon smiled back, then groaned as he tried to lay himself back down for sleep. “Please tell me you at least got in a few good licks,” Minhyuk inquired.

 

Hyungwon beamed, “I broke Nakta’s nose.”

 

Minhyuk snuggled into bed next to the younger boy, laughing at his excitement, “Good. Fucker deserved it.”

 

“I still can't believe you threw a knife into Xero’s knee. That was amazing.”

 

“What can I say, I'm good with knives.”

 

Hyungwon scrunched up his nose, “Sounds kinky.”

 

He knew his friend was badly injured, but that didn't stop Minhyuk from slapping Hyungwon on the arm, “Yah, why are you like this?”

 

“I can't let Changkyun beat me in the ‘saying inappropriate things to your hyung’ department.”

 

“I can only imagine what Kihyun has to deal with. At least he doesn't have to worry about Changkyun being an idiot and nearly dying,” Minhyuk shot at his friend.

 

Hyungwon chuckled, “There is no adventure in their friendship. I like to keep things interesting.”

 

“Well, let’s try to keep almost dying off the list of fun and adventurous things to keep our friendship interesting,” Minhyuk ordered, jabbing Hyungwon in the arm as he spoke. “You’re going to make me die of a heart attack one of these days.”

 

“Stop being such a doting mother,” Hyungwon complained.

 

“Someone around here has to be.”

 

Hyungwon turned his head to look at Minhyuk, “Then I guess you fit the role perfectly. However I will nag on you now to go to sleep. You had just as strenuous of a day as I did.”

 

“I’d like to point out that I was already asleep for a good four hours before you so rudely woke me up,” Minhyuk argued.

 

Hyungwon rolled his eyes, “Just shut up and sleep, hyung.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW, HELLO! I'M NOT DEAD! 
> 
> Took a while to get this bad boy updated, and I apologize. I work on this story on the side when I hit a block in my [Meanie fic.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6475411/chapters/14822221) But I also want to make sure the writing in this is absolutely the best it can be, so editing takes a while (the beginning of this chapter was re-written like three times before I was satisfied). Anyways, sorry about the wait, but I hope it was worth it. Also hope you enjoyed the Topp Dogg cameo. We may see more groups as the apocalypse drags on. ;)
> 
> drop me a comment or get at me on [Tumblr](www.tayvengeance.tumblr.com) or [Twitter](www.twitter.com/tayvengenz) if ya wanna yell at me or whatever. Thanks for reading!
> 
> header photos courtesy of [my lovely friend](www.takemehyungwon.tumblr.com)


	4. Watch Out

 

Changkyun slammed the door open, yelling at the guys to come help him. Minhyuk jolted awake from the commotion and looked over to make sure Hyungwon was still sleeping before he slipped out of bed to see what was going on. By the time Minhyuk walked down to the foyer, Hyunwoo and Jooheon were already there. Minhyuk looked over at Changkyun and noticed Kihyun on the floor next to him. He seemed to be unconscious, and Minhyuk realized Hyunwoo was grilling Changkyun about what happened.

“We weren't too far out, which was the scary thing. It just came out of nowhere. We were walking through Itaewon-dong, and it was quiet and barren as usual, then the Hostile jumped out at us. It was disgusting. It looked like it's face was all melted down except for one pupil-less eye and its joker-esque mouth. I shit you not. But it fucking lunged at Kihyun, biting down into his leg. It did quite a bit of damage, but I chopped it's disgusting head off and saved Kihyun before it could be fatal.”

“The flowers, did you use any flowers?” Hyunwoo questioned.

Changkyun nodded, “I put that potion on his leg to start the healing.”

“I'll take him from here,” Jooheon said as he bent down to pick up the injured Kihyun. “If you need me, I'll be in the infirmary room working my magic.” He walked out of the entryway and around the corner. The three remaining boys let their eyes follow him until they couldn't anymore. None of them so much as breathed in the silence that followed.

“Why are they so close?” Minhyuk wondered aloud.

“First Hyungwon, now Kihyun? How long until those things are breaking into bases and killing off clans?” Changkyun added.

Minhyuk let out a small snort, “Let's hope they come for Topp Dogg first.”

“Hey now, we don't want to wish bad things on surviving clans, no matter how they have treated us,” Hyunwoo lectured. “I don't know if you guys realize this, but everyone left alive is it. Earth’s population is peanuts now, so we don't want to wish anyone dead. While I agree that P-Goon was an S rank asshole to you guys, he was just protecting his clan. They probably don’t have enough food and supplies to live off of. You'd be surprised at what people would do for the ones they love,” he raised his eyebrow at the two younger boys to make sure they were listening. They responded with slow nods and “yes hyung’s,” to which Hyunwoo smiled and continued. “For this Hostile situation though… I'm going to go out and talk to nearby clans and see what they have been experiencing. Is Hoseok awake yet? I haven’t seen him yet today. Well, I'm going to find him and take him with me. Changkyun, go help Jooheon with Kihyun. You might need to explain the day’s events to him to help heal Kihyun. Minhyuk, go make sure Hyungwon is recovering well. I don’t like the thought of leaving him unattended while he is recovering. We should be back within two hours or so, so don’t burn the base down” Hyunwoo ordered as he began walking up to Hoseok’s room.

Minhyuk shared a look with Changkyun before they both sighed and followed Hyunwoo’s orders. Changkyun padded over to the “infirmary” and slowly peeked his head around the doorframe to see Jooheon leaning over Kihyun’s unresponsive body. “Ah, hyung? How is he?”

Jooheon snapped up at the sudden voice breaking through the silence. “Changkyun? He’ll be fine. I had to do some tricky alchemy to isolate the infection. I saved his leg from having to be cut off, but he won't be able to have full functionality for a while. The fucker got him good.”

Changkyun sighed, taking a seat in Jooheon’s extra desk chair, “I could have saved him, but I was so fucking scared. He would be fine if I had just taken the fucking shot faster.”

Jooheon gave him a sad smile, “Hey, don't beat yourself up over this. We all get scared. It's okay, Changkyun-ah. It’s not your fault, and Kihyun doesn’t blame you for anything. Shit we can’t control happens all the time, and we gotta just learn to deal with it.” He stood up and began putting equipment away, making sure to give Changkyun’s shoulder a squeeze as he walked over to his desk. “Stay with him until he wakes up, yah?”

Changkyun nodded and pulled his chair against the side of Kihyun’s bed. He leaned over onto the bed, resting his head on the mattress. He was close enough to Kihyun’s face that he could feel every exhale from Kihyun against the top of his head. _What a way to fall asleep,_ he thought. The day’s activities had wore him out, and every minute he spent with his head on the bed next to Kihyun’s was another minute he grew closer to slumber. He decided, as his eyelids grew too heavy to keep open, to ditch the chair and climb into the bed with Kihyun.

Minhyuk took no time getting back to his and Hyungwon’s room. He felt that every moment away from his friend was another moment in which Hyungwon could get hurt, which only shot his anxiety up the roof. “Hyungwon, are you awake?” Minhyuk whispered.

He saw Hyungwon roll over to face him, shooting him a tired smile when they made eye contact. “I am.”

“Kihyun was hurt,” Minhyuk informed.

Hyungwon jolted up, concern spreading across his face, “What happened?”

“Shhh, lay down, you’re still recovering,” Minhyuk scolded.

Hyungwon shrugged off his demand, “Hyung, what happened?”

Minhyuk responded with a sigh, “Changkyun and Kihyun went on a scouting mission, and a Hostile bit through Kihyun’s leg. It was pretty bad. Jooheon is fixing him up.”

Hyungwon scrunched his eyebrows together, “But I thought they were staying close today? Why did he get attacked by a Hostile?”

“That’s what we can’t figure out. Hyunwoo and Hoseok just went out to ask around about hostile activity, so we’ll see what they have to say when they get back. Otherwise for now, let’s get your bandages cleaned up and changed.”

Hyungwon grunted in agreement, and sat up so Minhyuk could tend to his wounds. Minhyuk always grew anxious when tending to his friend’s wounds, since he didn’t want to screw up and hurt him further. He was always extremely delicate when dealing with the bandages, always making sure to not put too much pressure on anything. Hyungwon liked how gentle his friend was, and let only him tend to his wounds. He flinched when the alcohol soaked cotton dabbed at his left temple and left a cool wet spot on his head. Minhyuk looked at him with concern in his eyes, but Hyungwon assured him that he was fine. He kept on cleaning up the scrapes and cuts on Hyungwon’s face, and Hyungwon would flinch every time the cold, wet cotton touched his skin. It began to feel like a game to them, and Minhyuk would see how close he could get to Hyungwon’s skin before he flinched. They ended up realising that it didn't take much to make Hyungwon flinch, and Minhyuk had to restrain everything inside him to not tickle his injured friend with this sudden discovery.

 • • •

“Yah, Hyungwonnie, can I ask you something?” Minhyuk asked, propping his head up on his elbow and turning his body to lay facing Hyungwon.

The younger boy turned to look at his friend with a soft expression on his face, “Of course, hyung. You can ask me anything in the world.”

Minhyuk shot him a smile before he continued, “Do you ever feel sick of being around me? Do you think I'm too protective of you? Am I too clingy with our friendship? Because I feel like sometimes I'm such a burden to you, but I also feel like I am somehow the one actually ruining your life by holding you back, ya know? I just-”

“Hyung, hyung, _hyung_ ! _Hajima~._ Okay, I don't know what brought all this on, but I'm going to need you to stop talking,” he declared, bringing his hand to Minhyuk’s mouth to quiet him. When the older boy had stopped talking, he moved his hand from his mouth to cup his cheek, “There hasn’t been a single moment in my life where I have thought any of that. You are my dearest friend in the entire world. Do you know how special you are to me? I had never thought about the question ‘who would you take a bullet for’ seriously until the apocalypse, and let me tell you, there is only one name on that list and it's yours. When I was being beat up by Topp Dogg, all I could think about was how to keep you safe. I didn't want you meeting the same fate as me. The thing is, you deserve so much happiness and love in your life, and the apocalypse kinda fucked that up. So please, stop thinking these things, because in the end, there's no one I'd rather be with than you, okay?”

Minhyuk could only stare into his friend’s eyes, taken back by the heartfelt confession that just escaped his lips. He realized his jaw was hanging slack, and proceeded to close his mouth. A thousand thoughts crossed his mind at the same time, and most of them indulged in the fact that Hyungwon said he was the only person he wanted to be with. Platonically? Romantically? Physically? It was beginning to be too much for him to process, so he ended up blurting out, “Hyungwonnie, do you love me?”

Hyungwon looked surprised at the sudden outburst from Minhyuk, “Of course I love you, you’re everything I have left.”

Minhyuk sighed, “No I mean are you _in love_ with me?”

The two boys stared at each other, Hyungwon’s hand still on Minhyuk’s face, but Minhyuk’s free hand had travelled to rest on Hyungwon’s chest. The question hung in the air for a few moments, before Minhyuk’s hand gripped the front of his friend’s shirt and Hyungwon pulled his face closer to his and-

 _SLAM_. The front door opening and closing broke up the moment, startling the boys apart from each other. “I NEED EVERYONE EXCEPT KIHYUN  OUT HERE,” Hyungwoo ordered from the entryway. Minhyuk crawled out of bed and bent over to allow Hyungwon to climb onto his back. Minhyuk made his way down as quickly as he could with an extra human in tow. When they arrived in the spacious front room, Hyunwoo motioned for Minhyuk to sit down on the floor next to Changkyun, so he let Hyungwon slide down his back and moved to sit behind him for support. Jooheon let a small chuckle escape his lips at the sight of the two boys as he took a seat to their other side. With Hyungwon situated in his lap, Minhyuk diverted his attention back to their leader.

“So, it obviously didn’t take us long to find out what we were looking for,” Hoseok began. “We found another clan nearby, Hotshot, and they had all the info we needed. So, now we are here to tell you what they told us.” Hoseok looked at Hyungwon and waited for him to continue explaining the situation.

“Well, we found out the reason for the Hostiles being so far into the city limits is because someone is keeping them locked up in the old Seodaemun prison,” Hyunwoo continued. ”Junhyuk told us he found it while scouting the area a few days ago. Now, the only other clans around that area would be Topp Dogg or Bangtan Sonyeondan, but Sungwoon informed us that Monster took Bangtan underground. They’re in the tunnels under the statue of king Sejong, and they haven’t exactly had a good time down there from the sound of it.”

“So does that mean Topp Dogg put the Hostiles in there?” Minhyuk asked, thinking back to the way the clan had acted towards them during their brief encounter. He was appalled at the thought, but figured he wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.

“Not necessarily, it just means that they are the people most at risk to an onslaught of Hostiles,” Hyunwoo answered.

“So, they’re likely to be attacked first? Maybe that's why they were so rough on these two. Do you think they know?” Jooheon mulled aloud, pointing his thumb over to Minhyuk and Hyungwon.

“It's quite possible. That is what I was thinking when I heard about the Hostiles in the prison,” Hyunwoo agreed.

“Wait, are BTS the only ones in the tunnels?” Changkyun inquired from his spot next to Minhyuk and Hyungwon. The look on his face showed that he was still trying to take in all the information he was being thrown, and that he wasn’t having an easy time comprehending the situation.

“No, amazingly enough,” Hoseok cut in. “24k has been down there mapping out the underground trails and stocking up an old bunker they found since the apocalypse started; we also think Solar took the girls down there as well, since none of us have been able to find them as of recent.”

“So, we don't know who is keeping Hostiles jailed up, and clans are starting to migrate underground? Why does it seem to be getting _more_ dangerous to live than when the initial end of the world began?” Hyungwon complained.

“I made a deal with Hotshot,” Hyunwoo explained.  “We’ve aligned our clans and are allies now. Their base is only about ten minutes east of us, so they are pretty close. Changkyun, you’re the fastest runner of us all, so you’re our messenger. Kid Monster is their messenger. If either of us need assistance, you two will be sent out. I think me and Junhyuk are going to pay Topp Dogg a visit tomorrow, see what’s going on with their clan; find out what is going on in the old prison.”

Changkyun made an audible groan, “Hyung why do you hate me? I don't wanna be the messenger.”

Hyunwoo rolled his eyes, “This is a post-apocalyptic world, you think I care if you don't _want_ to be the messenger? Suck it up, kid. We all need to pull our weight around here, and you’ve done the least around here because we shelter you. We’ve been sitting here scared of letting anything happen to our precious maknae, and it’s made you unaware of what’s happening out there. Hyungwon has almost died twice in the past two months, the least you can do is play carrier pigeon.”

Changkyun shut up after Hyunwoo called him out. Minhyuk tried to hold back a snicker, but the younger boy saw him and landed a smack on his left shoulder. He rubbed his arm where the impact landed, and looked over at Hyunwoo, “Did they say anything about the state of the Hostiles? Are they the nasty ones like the one that attacked Hyungwon?”

“Actually, they said the ones they’ve encountered have been pretty mild cases. Kind of half human half monster.” He paused a moment before he pointed at Hyungwon and continued, “You and Kihyun seemed to have the opposite fate. They haven’t come near the bases yet, but we think it’s only a matter of time before they are crashing through our windows.”

“So what should we do?” Minhyuk breathed, still trying to grasp the complexity of their situation. His eyes darted back and forth between Hyunwoo and Hoseok, trying to find all the answers to the questions swarming around his brain. “If someone brought the baddies in the city, then where is it even safe? Is nowhere safe anymore?”

“Take a look at Hyungwon and Kihyun. We never were safe,” Hyunwoo retorted. “We are gonna strengthen ourselves with more numbers, that's how we stay safe. If all us Seoul clans get together as an alliance, then it will be a piece of fucking cake to get rid of the Hostiles. Everyone carries a certain set of skills, so the added diversity will help to make us stronger. The added bonus in this situation is that at least 70% of us are military trained. So, when me and Junhyuk go out tomorrow, we’ll hit up Topp Dogg, then see if we can find any other clans willing to help us. Jooheon, you're going to be in charge of the base while I’m out. We’re going to be leaving here around 05:00, and I don't see us returning any earlier than 18:00. I want everyone resting, okay? Take a load off, whatever. Just please don't burn the place down.”

Jooheon nodded, then proceeded to stand up from his spot on the ground. A concerned look appeared on Hyungwon’s face, “Why is _he_ in charge? He's second youngest of us all.”

Hyunwoo rolled his eyes, “He's the only able bodied alchemist right now, he knows what kind of care and attention the two injured members need, and because I fucking said so, okay?”

Hyungwon raised his arms in surrender, dropping the argument at Hyunwoo’s stern reply. Minhyuk chuckled and started stroking his hair, leaning into Hyungwon’s ear, “You can boss me around all day tomorrow if it makes you feel better. You’re in charge of me.” A smile spread across Hyungwon’s face, and he tilted his head back to grin at his friend.

“Okay, I think everyone needs a good night’s sleep. I’m calling bedtime early today,” Hyunwoo announced.

“You have no arguments from us. I am sure we are all so tired we could drop and sleep right here,” Jooheon agreed.

Changkyun groaned, “You sound like my appa.”

The boys all laughed, but a solemn silence fell over them as they realized the gravity of his words. “Yeah, I feel like your appa.” His voice trailed off towards the end of his sentence, yet the last word seemed to ring in the silence.

“It’s okay, you make a good appa,” Changkyun said as he stood up. He gave Hyunwoo a hug as he walked past and made his way back to Kihyun, receiving a pat on the head from the eldest boy.

• • •

Hyunwoo woke up to the ringing of the small bedside clock Hyungwon pillaged from a convenience store a few months ago. When he had brought it back to the base, Hyunwoo looked at him questioningly only to have Hyungwon shrug and say ‘What if we need to get up earlier than we’re trained to?’ while pulling – what looked like – a lifetime supply of batteries from the duffle bag.

He turned off the alarm and groaned when he realized the sun hadn’t even come up yet. Hyunwoo only hoped Junhyuk was having just as difficult of a time waking up as he was. He may have been trained to wake up early in the Military, but that didn’t mean it was easy to do. He looked over next to him to make sure Jooheon was still asleep, and shifted out of the younger’s embrace and off the bed. He slowly shuffled out of his bedroom and into the bathroom, thanking Jooheon’s alchemist ass for their water supply. He splashed his face with the cold water, and got a peek at his bloodshot eyes in the mirror. Hyunwoo hadn’t been sleeping well since Hyungwon’s first encounter with a Hostile, and his habit of tossing and turning restlessly throughout the night returned. The only one who had noticed was Jooheon, and he had made sure to spend every night next to Hyunwoo, making sure he had an anchor through the night.

 

Hyunwoo was the only one of all seven boys in the squad to have actual field experience, so his restless nights came long before any of the “end of the world” shenanigans. Jooheon happened to be awake after lights out one night and witnessed the elder’s cries for help and comfort. He hopped off the top bunk and sat on the edge of Hyunwoo’s bunk, resting his hand delicately on his shoulder. They were never trained on how to handle a situation like this, so Jooheon was oblivious as to how he could help Hyunwoo. He figured comforting his squad leader was all he could do, and climbed into the bunk with him, holding him in a tight embrace. When they woke up, Hyunwoo shot Jooheon a sleepy smile and ruffled his hair, thanking him for peaceful slumber. Of course that was the day a Corporal came in to give them specific orders, only to find the two boys in bed together.

 

Since being gay was strictly illegal in Korea and Corporals loved to inflict punishment on the lesser soldiers, Hyunwoo and Jooheon were subjected to intensive punishment. They spent the rest of the day under the cursing tongues of three Corporals, doing countless sets of 100 push-ups and a grand total of 10 miles worth of laps around the parking lot, all the while the corporals didn’t hold back on their homophobic slurs. The two boys didn’t even try to explain the fact that they weren’t in a romantic relationship with each other and simply fulfilled their punishment. It wasn’t worth their time. They simply set their alarm for an hour earlier than everyone else to give them time in the morning to make sure they were never caught again. It was only a few months later when the world went to shit and law and order was thrown out the window and the two boys were safe to stop sneaking around higher command.

 

No one in the clan really knew about their relationship, since no one really bothered Hyunwoo in his room out of respect for their leader. Hoseok had casually asked about Hyunwoo’s relationship with Jooheon a few times, but he never received a straight answer. He was the only one that suspected anything, but didn’t pressure them into telling him.

 

Jooheon appeared in the mirror behind Hyunwoo and wrapped his arms around the elder’s bare, toned waist, leaning his head into the crook of his neck and peppering kisses from his jaw down to his bare shoulder, relishing in the skin-to-skin contact. “You were talking in your sleep all night,” he muttered into Hyunwoo’s shoulder.

 

Hyunwoo turned around in Jooheon’s embrace, leaning his bare back against the cold, porcelain sink and resting his arms around Jooheon’s bare shoulders. “I’m sorry. I’m just really stressed about this whole Hostile situation.”

 

Jooheon moved one of his hands up to Hyunwoo’s head and ran his fingers through his hair, “Don’t apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong. And don’t worry, today we will get everything organized and figure out what to do about the Hostiles. Stop baring the weight of the whole clan on your shoulders.”

 

“I’m the leader, I have to, Jooheonnie.”

 

“We are a family. We all bear the same weight. Stop being so hard on yourself,” Jooheon softly scolded, moving his hand from Hyunwoo’s hair to his bare chest. His fingers absentmindedly traced over a large scar on his left pectoral, and his vision began to focus in on it. “We’re all here for you.”

 

Hyunwoo hooked his finger under Jooheon’s chin and raised his head until they were making eye contact. He smiled at the younger boy, “I couldn’t survive the end of the world without you.”

 

Jooheon leaned in and pressed their lips together, smiling into the soft contact. Hyunwoo’s grip on him tightened, and he could feel every muscle against his bare skin. Jooheon lived for the moments he was alone with Hyunwoo. When they could be together.

 

It didn't take long for their innocent friendship to blossom into a secret relationship at the military base, and even though they are free of the laws that used to restrict their relationship, they still can't bring themselves to tell their friends about it. So, late at night and early in the morning is when the two of them get to be together, and it's Jooheon's favourite time of the day.

 

Jooheon eased out of the kiss with a smile on his face, “You can't even survive the night without me.”

 

Hyunwoo rolled his eyes and lightly pushed Jooheon out of his embrace. The younger boy’s eyes disappeared into the wide smile plastered on his face, and Hyunwoo slapped his ass as he turned to walk out of the bathroom, “Put a shirt on and prepare yourself. Watching over this particular clan is not a piece of cake. Junhyuk is probably waiting for me to join him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI. I'M BACK FROM THE DEAD! I'm sorry this took so long to update. I've been busy with school and writing my Meanie fic, but here I bring you a calm, informative chapter before shit hits the fan. I'm excited. You should be too. 
> 
> Hmu with any questions or comments you have!!! My [tumblr](Http://www.tayvengeance.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](Http://Www.twitter.com/tayvengenz) are welcome for chatting!
> 
> header photos courtesy of [my lovely friend](www.takemehyungwon.tumblr.com)


	5. Take a Shot

 

Hyunwoo knocked on the door to Hotshot’s base. It was currently 05:00 in the morning, the sun was just making an appearance over the horizon, and Hyunwoo was regretting not grabbing a jacket on his way out -- he was too busy kissing Jooheon goodbye to remember it. Junhyuk answered the door after a single, sharp knock from Hyunwoo’s knuckle. He motioned for Hyunwoo to step inside the base, closing the door quietly behind him.

 

“So,” Junhyuk whispered, careful not to wake anyone else in the base. “What’s our game plan for today?”

 

Hyunwoo looked at Junhyuk. The two had been in training together, but Hyunwoo hadn't really seen the other since the apocalypse began. His hair had grown out so it fell just above his eyes, he had grown thinner, and the dark circles under his eyes betrayed the fact he hadn't been sleeping well. Hyunwoo gave him a small smile and brought a hand to his shoulder, “Convince Topp Dogg to be allies with us. I don't know what intel they have, but we’ll tell them everything we know. Make sure they know just how bad of a situation we are all in. After that -- assuming they agree -- you, me and P-Goon can go scouting around the Seodaemun prison area.”

 

Junhyuk nodded with a sigh, rubbing his face with his hands, “Well, let’s get this over with. I don’t particularly want to end up at Seodaemun at twilight.”

 

Hyunwoo nodded, and they grabbed all the supplies they would need before heading out into the brisk morning. They walked in silence for about twenty minutes, not having much to talk about. Both boys focusing on the horizon as they walked. It was Hyunwoo who broke the silence first, “Hey, Junhyuk?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Are you as terrified as I am?” Hyunwoo looked over at Junhyuk, concern plain on his face. “I honestly can’t sleep at night because I’m constantly thinking about how I can protect my clan. And the fucking thing is, I don’t think I can anymore.”

 

Junhyuk sighed and put an arm around Hyunwoo, “I understand, man. I have cried myself to sleep countless times because I think I’m not a good enough leader. But you know what? It’s okay to show a little bit of weakness. Your clan knows you’re not bulletproof.”

 

“I can’t though. I.M needs that reassurance,” Hyunwoo sighed and kicked a rock before he continued. “When this whole apocalypse deal began, I.M was adamant that we go back to his home in Gwangju to check on his family. He thought surely it was far enough away from Seoul to be too affected.” Hyunwoo raised his gaze to look out on the horizon, “So, we found alternative transportation and ended up in the deserted city. It honestly seemed like Gwangju was hit harder than Seoul. The whole city smelled of death.” He glanced over to Junhyuk and made a gross face. Junhyuk chuckled. “We ended up at his childhood home, which was still inhabited by his late family. It reeked of death, which meant I.M’s family had been decomposing for a while by the time we found them. It broke my heart to see him so helpless,” Hyunwoo trailed off at the end. He paused for a long moment after, replaying the moment in his head. His brows furrowed, and he made eye contact with Junhyuk, “I made a promise then, that I would never let anything happen to him. I was going to protect that boy with my life.”

 

Junhyuk remained silent for a moment after Hyunwoo finished talking. After about a minute of silence, his brows furrowed and he looked up at Hyunwoo, “Did they get infected?”

 

“I don’t know! I didn’t perform a bloody autopsy on them,” Hyunwoo blurted.

 

Junhyuk laughed, “Okay, I’m just curious. But I understand why you’re so protective.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked, “Thinking on it, I guess I'm the same way about Hojeong.” Hyunwoo nodded, and the two walked along in silence for a moment. It was a comfortable silence, one that let them think about what the other had told them. They had been walking for about 40 minutes now, and still had about 60 more minutes of walking before they got up to Dongdaemun.

 

“Hey, Hyunwoo?” Junhyuk grabbed his attention in the silence. Hyunwoo looked over to him, raising an eyebrow. “How do you stay so calm and collected through all of this?”

 

Hyunwoo chuckled. Junhyuk didn't know about his night terrors, nor would he have a reason to know, and the thought that he came off as composed and calm brought the laugh out. “Junhyuk, I'm the furthest thing from calm. I can't sleep at night without Jooheon by my side in case I have a night terror. I'm out here with you but I'm terrified something will happen to them while I'm gone.” Hyunwoo paused a moment, then looked over at Junhyuk, “It's all a fucking façade.”

 

“Hm,” Junhyuk responded, nodding his head absentmindedly. “So these night terrors, are they the reason you and Jooheon got in trouble that one day?”

 

Hyunwoo gave him a confused look, “How do you know about that?”

 

“Everyone knew. One person walked by and saw it and heard them call you guys names. He came into the mess hall and a minute later, everyone in training knew you and Jooheon were gay.”

 

Hyunwoo slowed his pace, “Woah, we weren't even in a relationship. Literally one night he held me down while I had a night terror, and next thing I know we were running laps for being in bed together.” Hyunwoo ran his hand through his hair and laughed, “I guess the joke’s on us now, because Jooheon and I did end up forming an intimate relationship.”

 

“Does your clan know?” Junhyuk inquired.

 

Hyunwoo shook his head, “We haven't told them. The right moment hasn't come up. Especially not with two of my boys badly injured. I can't justify my happiness while Hyungwon is sitting in bed for the second week in a row waiting for his broken ribs to heal enough so he can walk again, and Kihyun nearly escaped amputation of his leg.”

 

Junhyuk nodded, “But didn't the guys find out about the training incident?”

 

Hyunwoo paused before answering, “They did, but at the time it was just a misunderstanding. So they know that, they don't know the fact that it escalated over time into a real relationship.” He let out a sigh and ran his hands through his hair.

 

“I, uh, I'm sorry if you don't want to talk about all this,” Junhyuk said sheepishly. “I'm just nervous about all this Hostile shit, and talking about you is keeping my mind occupied.”

 

Hyunwoo chuckled, “It’s okay. I understand.”

 

“On the bright side, we’re almost there. Probably another fifteen minutes until we reach Dongdaemun,” Junhyuk announced with a small smile.

 

Hyunwoo smiled back, and the two continued on in silence.

 

Junhyuk was right, it only took them about fifteen minutes to reach the Dongdaemun Market -- well, what was left of it -- and once they arrived they realised they had no idea where to find Topp Dogg. They agreed that they couldn't call out for them -- for fear of calling attention to themselves -- so they just started wandering. After about five minutes of wandering around, Hyunwoo ran into someone and knocked them down. “FUCK,” he yelled, as he hit the ground.

 

Hyunwoo rushed to help him up, extending his hand out to him, “I’m so sorry! I wasn't looking in front of me!”

 

The boy gave him an incredulous look, peering at Hyunwoo through his once-bleached bangs. He hesitantly accepted his hand and pulled himself up. “Yah, why weren't you paying attention? What do you want?”

 

“I’m sorry. We’re looking for Topp Dogg. We have something urgent to discuss with their leader.”

 

“P-Goon doesn't just _take_ _in_ wanderers,” the boy sneered, “You're gonna need to tell me more than that for me to take you over to him. Who are you?”

 

“I'm Shownu. Leader of the X clan. This is Junhyuk, leader of the Hotshot clan. We need to talk to P-Goon about a potential threat here in Seoul.”

 

The boy rolled his eyes and jabbed his finger in Hyunwoo’s chest, “Your boys stole from us, and they injured two of our guys. What makes you think I'll take you to P-Goon?”

 

“It involves the safety of your whole clan!” Junhyuk interjected, irritated at the boy. “We think someone is storing Hostiles nearby.”

 

The boy backed out of Hyunwoo’s space and lowered his hand, a look of confusion on his face. “What?”

 

“The old Seodaemun prison,” Hyunwoo continued. “Someone is keeping Hostiles there.”

 

A look of realisation passed through the boy’s face, as he pieced together what Hyunwoo and Junhyuk were telling him. “Follow me.”

 

The boy lead them to the end of the street and pulled them into one of the buildings at the end. He knocked three times on the door, and was greeted by a tall boy with a bandage over his nose and bruises on his face. “Who are they?” he grumbled as the boy pulled Hyunwoo and Junhyuk inside.

 

“Other clan leaders. Where is P-Goon?” The tall boy pointed at another door behind him. “Thanks, Nakta.” Hyunwoo and Junhyuk were ushered through the door and into a narrow hallway. The boy waved them down to the left, and they followed. They reached a door at the end of the hallway, and the boy banged on the door, “P-Goon, you have visitors!”

 

They could hear yelling from the other side of the door, “Hansol, what the fuck did I say about letting people in!” The door burst open as he finished talking, and he looked at the two standing behind Hansol. “What the fuck? Why are you guys here?”

 

Hansol looked from Junhyuk and Hyunwoo to P-Goon, “Wait, you know them?”

 

“He was our mentor during military training,” Junhyuk answered.

 

“These punks were more trouble than they were worth,” P-Goon responded. He looked away from Hansol and back at Hyunwoo and Junhyuk, “Come in. I assume you came for a reason.” Hansol stepped aside and gestured for them to walk in before him. After they were all in, he shut the door behind them. “Hansol, why are you in here?”

 

He shrugged, “They briefly told me what was going on, so I want to know the full story.”

 

P-Goon rolled his eyes, “Whatever.” He looked at Hyunwoo and Junhyuk and gestured around the room. It was a small office space that was littered with papers and supplies. Cases of medicine and first aid supplies were stacked against the back wall, and military documents were scattered across the small desk and the floors. Junhyuk found a stool to sit on in the front corner, while Hyunwoo decided to lean against the desk.  “Welcome to my office. As you can see, it's a fucking mess. I haven't had time to tidy up, because we recently discovered a bit of a pest problem.”

 

“Hostiles?” Hyunwoo offered.

 

“Yeah, actually. How do you figure?” P-Goon asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

 

“I went scouting around here the other day, and we happened upon the Seodaemun prison. I thought it could be a good idea to check it out, maybe we could find something useful in there.” Junhyuk paused for a moment and tried to read P-Goon’s expression, but he couldn't. “We walked in quietly, and were instantly met with the smell of rotting flesh. Looking in the first few cells, I noticed there were Hostiles locked up in them. Some of them looked just like normal humans, but you could see the cloudy pupils; the sign of a Hostile. The front cells all had Hostiles of the same intensity -- the human kind -- but there was a mad rattling and snarling  coming from behind some metal doors, and I'm pretty sure that back room is full of the nasty Hostiles that Shownu’s clan has encountered.”

 

“Real nasty looking motherfuckers with faces that look like melted candle wax?” P-Goon asked Hyunwoo.

 

Hyunwoo nodded, “Sharp claws, sharp teeth, high stamina.”

 

“These are the shits we’ve been taking care of every night. I've been having Nakta and Jenissi go on nightly rounds to kill them. They haven't gotten to our base yet, but they get closer every day.”

 

“We were hoping you’d come take a better look with us,” Hyunwoo suggested.

 

P-Goon was silent for a moment, looking back and forth between Hyunwoo and Junhyuk. “Let me grab Nakta and Jenissi.”

 

“What about me?” Hansol asked.

 

“ _You,_ ” P-Goon pointed at Hansol, “get to stay here and watch over the rest of the guys. Fill them in on what’s going on, and start packing up the important shit. If I find Seodaemun is full of Hostiles, we’re relocating.”

 

Hansol nodded, and exited the room. P-Goon looked back at Junhyuk, “You’re positive you saw Hostiles?”

 

He nodded, “I am. You’ll see, Sehyuk.”

 

An empty smile and a faraway look crossed P-Goon’s face, “Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”

 

“No one calls you by name in your clan?” Hyunwoo questioned.

 

P-Goon shook his head, “No. I never told them, and no one has asked.” Hyunwoo and Junhyuk slowly nodded. P-Goon shrugged, then began making his way out of the office. Junhyuk and Hyunwoo got up and followed. They walked back through the hallway Hansol had lead them down, and into the main room of the building where a few other members were. “Jenissi, Nakta, you’re coming with us,” P-Goon commanded. The two quickly obeyed, grabbing knives and pistols as they made their way over to the scouting party. “Hansol is in charge until I get back,” he announced to the remaining guys. They all nodded, which P-Goon took as a cue to leave.

 

“Where exactly are we going?” Nakta inquired. Jenissi perked up to listen to the answer.

 

“Seodaemun prison. Apparently there is a Hostile problem over there that requires us to check out. I mean, unless you like your nightly Hostile roundup shifts.” Nakta made a face and Jenissi shook his head. “Then let's get moving.”

 

“Ah, P-Goon?” Hyunwoo called out.

 

P-Goon slowed his pace and walked alongside Hyunwoo, “What’s up?”

 

“I'm really sorry about my dongsaengs causing trouble with you guys. I didn't tell them to come this far north for supplies.”

 

“I'm sorry we roughed one of them up so badly.”

 

Hyunwoo punched P-Goon in the arm, “Motherfucker, you _had_ to break his ribs. Poor kid has been bedridden for two weeks now.”

 

P-Goon winced and rubbed his arm where Hyunwoo punched it, “I really am sorry about that. It was my fault for not pulling Nakta off him. He did get Nakta pretty good though, and Xero has been on crutches for the past two weeks, so…”

 

“The end of the world does crazy things to a man,” Hyunwoo concluded.

 

“Honestly, it did,” P-Goon agreed. “You have alchemists in your clan, right?”

 

Hyunwoo nodded, “Two. They’re good guys. Excellent medics. They were actually trying to become military medics before The End and all that shit. What about Topp Dogg? Don't you have an alchemist?”

 

P-Goon shrugged, “Hojoon is only a beginner, so he's not the greatest help.”

 

“Well, if all proceeds as I think it will today, then you guys are more than welcome to take refuge in our base. We have a whole floor we don’t use, and quite a few unused rooms. Hojoon can practice his Alchemy with Jooheon and Kihyun, and we can combine our supply stock to last even longer.”

 

“We were total dickheads to your guys, and you're offering us your base?” P-Goon said abashedly.

 

“Sehyuk, holding grudges isn't exactly my priority during these apocalyptic times,” Hyunwoo responded, lowering his voice so only P-Goon could hear him. “I just don't want to see anyone else get hurt.”

 

P-Goon nodded and a sad smile crossed his face, “You're a hell of a leader, Hyunwoo. More than I can say for myself.”

 

Hyunwoo snorted, “The boys will be upset with me at first -- they don’t particularly think highly of your clan at the moment -- but with time, they’ll get over it.”

 

“Hyung!” Nakta yelled, signaling P-Goon over to where he had stopped a few yards ahead. He waited until P-Goon had walked up next to him to show him the carvings on the rocks he had nearly tripped over. “That’s Block B’s mark.”

 

“What the fuck is Block B doing out here?” P-Goon wondered aloud.

 

“We better find out, and quickly,” Junhyuk urged. “We only have about three hours of sunlight left.”

 

Everything around them had the mark of the Block B clan. Rocks, rubble, it was even scratched into the hard dirt in some places. They were quickly approaching the Seodaemun prison, and Hyunwoo was beginning to connect the dots. “What is Zico up to?”

 

“Looks like he's the one to blame for these Hostiles,” P-Goon observed.

 

Jenissi walked up to the entrance of the prison, grabbing onto Nakta for backup (support), “Uh, guys? Did you ever watch the American TV series The Walking Dead?”

 

The other three shook their heads, Hyunwoo voiced their answer, “No, why?”

 

When Hyunwoo walked up behind Jenissi, he found out why. 「열지 마라. 죽은 내부.」was written on the double doors in the back of the entry room, and they could hear banging and snarling coming from the other side.

 

“Don’t open. Dead inside,” Junhyuk read as he walked up behind Hyunwoo.

 

“In the TV show, the main guy wakes up in the hospital all alone,” Jenissi explained. “He walks around and finds doors forced shut with the warning ‘DON’T OPEN DEAD INSIDE’ on it. All the zombies in the hospital are behind it. I’ll let you take a guess as to what’s behind those doors.”

 

“Guys!” Nakta called from behind one of the entry doors. “Look at this. Zico left a note.”

 

P-Goon walked over and took the paper from Nakta and read it aloud. “Whoever finds this, know that I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I wanted to study the Hostiles, but only ended up hurting everyone around me. My clan is dead because of my actions and three of the strongest Hostiles I’ve ever encountered are on the loose. I fled underground, and you should too. Whatever you do, do NOT engage these Hostiles. They’re extremely powerful, _because they are still human.”_

 

“What’s that supposed to mean? It’s not uncommon to see minimally infected people,” Junhyuk challenged.

 

“Yeah, but what if they are fully infected but retained their human form?” Jenissi suggested. “That could spell all sorts of trouble.”

 

Just then, the doors behind them slammed shut. Nakta swore and grabbed onto Jenissi. “Who’s there?” P-Goon demanded in the darkness. Except for the scratching and banging on the doors at the back of the room, the boys stood in complete silence, waiting for a response.

 

“You should have listened to Zico’s warning, Sehyuk,” a cryptic, yet quite familiar voice said from within the darkness.

 

“Hyosang?” P-Goon called out in the darkness. Jenissi fumbled in his backpack for his flashlight, feeling like he was taking all too long trying to find it. Once his hand wrapped around the handle, he yanked it out of his bag and switched it on in one swift movement. The beam of light shone on a man who looked a lot like Hyosang, but there was something _off_ about him. He was the same height as Hyosang, had the same build as Hyosang, even had the same voice, but his eyes betrayed those that belonged to Hyosang. As the flashlight shone on his face, they reflected back much like that of a wild animal.

 

“Holy shit,” Nakta breathed.

 

“We thought you died,” Jenissi whispered, bewildered at the man standing before him.

 

“You can thank Sehyuk here for not killing me,” he smirked.

 

“Hyung? You didn’t kill him after he got infected?” Nakta drilled, confusion plain on his face.

 

“I-I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to pull the damn trigger. So I left the gun for him and ran away,” P-Goon explained, unable to take his eyes off Hyosang.

 

“He left me, dying and alone, with a gun. I nearly shot myself in the head. The only thing that stopped me was the state of paralysis the infection left me in. I had no choice but to accept my fate as it naturally came to me. By the time the infection spread through my whole body, I felt stronger. I felt good. Then, lo and behold, Seogoong and Gohn were thrown out, infected and dying like I had been.”

 

“You try looking your closest friends in the eye and killing them!” P-Goon retorted.

 

“If it had been you I would have had the balls to do so!” Hyosang fired back.

 

“Uhhhhh, Sehyuk…” Hyunwoo cut in. Two other figures had appeared behind them, and Hyunwoo sensed unpleasantries were about to unfold. He shoved his hand in his pocket and did the one thing he never thought he’d do: press the goddamn life alert button.

 

Jooheon jolted awake when he felt a vibration in his pocket. He knew it wasn’t his cell phone, since those became obsolete after about a month of post-apocalyptic living. The only other item he had was the life alert button he had fiddled with and turned into something akin to emergency pagers. Hyunwoo had the other one to the set, which meant that he was in trouble. He quickly slid off his bed and grabbed the nearest pair of shoes he owned. “GUYS, EMERGENCY,” he yelled. Minhyuk and Hoseok were the first ones to run into his room, and they both regarded him with concerned expressions.

 

“What happened?” Minhyuk asked, worry evident in his voice.

 

“The life alert buzzed.”

 

“Hyunwoo has the other one,” Hoseok stated.

 

“He does,” Jooheon confirmed.

 

“He’s in trouble? What situation would be so bad that our hyung would call for help?” Wonho wondered aloud.

 

“I don’t know, but I’m not about to let him die. You two are coming with me. Keep Changkyun in charge of the other two. Minhyuk, relay the message for me, okay?”

 

Minhyuk nodded and sped off to Kihyun’s room. The door was ajar, so he knocked lightly before he entered. A soft “come in” travelled from inside. “Uh, Changkyun? I know this is extremely short notice, but Hyunwoo is in danger and we have to go help him. Can you stay with Kihyun and Hyungwon while Jooheon, Hoseok and myself go out to help him? I’ll send a member from the Hotshot clan over as well. Sungwoon is their alchemist, so I’ll make sure he comes to stay with you.”

 

Changkyun stared blankly back at Minhyuk, clearly needing a moment to process all that information. “Okay. How’s your boyfriend doing?”

 

“Hyungwon isn’t my boyfriend, but he’s doing fine. He’s asleep currently, but when he wakes up you’ll have to give him his pain medication,” Minhyuk explained.

 

Changkyun nodded, “Alright. I got this. Go help Hyunwoo-hyung!”

 

Minhyuk nodded, and ran out of the room. He joined the other two at the front door, and they all walked out into the open and quickly made their way to Hotshot’s base. After a brisk five minute run, they arrived at the door and knocked three times. Timoteo opened the door and gave the boys a confused look. “Shownu is in trouble, which leads me to believe Junhyuk is also in trouble, and so I need you guys to come with me to help them come home alive,” Jooheon quickly explained. Timoteo’s eyes went wide with worry, and he disappeared back into the base. Jooheon heard yelling from inside, then scuttling feet as Timoteo and the other three boys made their way back to the doorway. “Uh, Sungwoon? Since you’re an alchemist, would you mind staying in our base with I.M? I’m going out to get Shownu back and Kihyun is one of our two injured, so I want an able bodied alchemist in there.”

 

Sungwoon nodded with a smile, “No worries. I’ll make sure everything is good over here.” He saluted Jooheon before he made his way out of the base and over to the X clan’s base.

 

Jooheon smiled, “Thank you all. I really appreciate this, you guys.”

 

“Hey, we’re a team now,” Timoteo replied. “You watch our backs and we watch yours.”

 

Jooheon clapped a hand on his shoulder and smiled, “Well, we better get moving. It’ll take at least two hours to walk up to Dongdaemun.”

 

“Oh, we’re not walking,” Kid Monster said. He walked into the room holding two sets of keys. He threw a set at Jooheon, who fumbled with them before he caught them. “You can ride a motorcycle, right?” Jooheon nodded, a look of surprise evident on his face. “Good. We stole the truck and bike from the military camp, because we figured there would be a time for their use. You can lead on the bike.”

 

Jooheon followed the four Hotshot guys outside and around the base to get to the vehicles. Hojeong disappeared into what looked like a storage shed and came back with a jug of gasoline. “We keep them empty and only fill up when we need to use the cars. Otherwise it's a waste to have the cars,” he explained, pouring the gas into the truck first. Once he got about a quarter tank in, he walked over to the bike and did the same.

 

Yoonsan appeared from the same shed with a helmet and a jacket for Jooheon. “Do you have an extra helmet?” Jooheon asked as he grabbed the equipment. “Shownu will need one.”

 

Yoonsan nodded, “Yeah, let me go grab it.” He disappeared back into the shed and came back with another helmet and jacket. “There is a compartment in the seat where we can store these,” he explained, lifting the seat up and placing the extra amenities inside.

 

“Yoonsan! Did you get Jooheon geared up?” Kid Monster yelled from the driver’s side of the truck. Yoonsan gave him a thumbs up and made his way over to the truck, hopping into the back in one fell swoop.

 

Jooheon shoved his head into the helmet, then slipped his arms into the heavy leather jacket. Once he was geared up, he swung his leg over the seat of the motorbike and started the engine. He took in a deep breath, trying to stay calm as he thought of what could be happening to Hyunwoo, then revved the engine before speeding off in the direction of Dongdaemun.

 

“Jenissi!” Nakta yelled. He was currently fighting three Hostiles, and noticed the older boy had just killed the last one around him. He rushed over to Nakta’s side, chopping the head off the Hostile closest to harming Nakta. After Hyosang had introduced the other two ex (dead?) Topp Dogg members, one of them had opened the back doors and let loose all the Hostiles. They had been severely outnumbered, swarmed by at least fifty Hostiles. Sehyuk was stuck fighting Hyosang, Seogoong and Gohn, which was tricky because they were all military trained with the added effects of being infected. Jenissi had taken out about seven Hostiles, while Junhyuk and Hyunwoo had taken out nearly twelve combined. Hyunwoo had started a fire at one point during the fight, illuminating the chaos with flickering light.

 

Sehyuk grunted as Hyosang hit him square across the back with a metal rod. He spun around quickly, adrenaline rushing through his veins, and hit Hyosang directly in between his eyes with the blunt handle of his katana. It stunned him long enough for Sehyuk to fight off the advances from Seogoong and Gohn.

 

Hynwoo and Junhyuk stood back-to-back, fighting seven Hostiles at once. The remaining 21 were stuck behind an ever-growing wall of flames. Junhyuk took a deep scratch to his left arm and faltered a moment, pain shooting up to his shoulder. He switched the knife he was holding into his right hand and stabbed it through the Hostile’s face. It screeched in pain, a sound akin to a pig squelch. Hyunwoo took his machete and spun around to slice the Hostile’s head clean off. “You said help was coming!” Junhyuk yelled at Hyunwoo.

 

“It takes them three goddamn hours to get up here!” he retorted.

 

“We’ll be dead in three hours!” Junhyuk argued.

 

“Guys! Nakta was hurt real bad! One of these fuckers gouged his pectoral; he’s bleeding pretty bad,” Jenissi yelled from where he had joined Nakta moments ago. The three Hostiles that had been attacking him were now dead, and he was supporting a barely conscious Nakta.

 

“Get in my bag, Jenissi,” Hyunwoo directed, struggling against the weight of a Hostile. “In it, you’ll find a vile with purple liquid.” The Hostile was chomping it’s teeth at him, just as Junhyuk spun around and sliced its arm off. It screeched in pain, and gave Hyunwoo a chance to kick it to the ground and cut off its head. “Pour it on his wound. There should also be some flower petals. Make sure he eats it. This is a special medicine my alchemist, Jooheon, made. It will help him survive.”

 

Jenissi nodded in response and dashed over to the bag that Hyunwoo had discarded long before the fighting had begun. He dug around for a moment before his hand grasped a small vial, and he pulled it out. He held it up to the firelight and confirmed it was the medicine Hyunwoo had told him to find. He reached his arm into the bag again to find the flower petal, but couldn’t find anything in the heat of the moment. He decided to get the medicine he had to Nakta before anything bad could happen to him. He crawled back over to where he had lain Nakta down, and poured the contents of the vial onto his chest. Nakta stopped heaving once the liquid make contact with his flesh, and his breathing started slowing back down to a normal pace.

 

They had been fighting for close to an hour now, severely dropping in stamina while the Hostiles remained just as vigilant as they had started. Hyunwoo was starting to doubt that any help was going to arrive, when he heard shouting from outside. The prison doors were thrown open, and he could hear Jooheon yelling commands at people. The room was suddenly filled with the remaining members of the three present clans -- besides those who stayed behind due to injury. “Hojoon, attend to Nakta! He looks to need medical attention!” Jooheon ordered. “Minhyuk, Wonho, Timoteo, Kid Monster, help P-Goon out! Sungwoon, Yoonsan, we’re going to help out Hyunwoo and Junhyuk!” He waited for them to disperse before he looked at the remaining boys, “A-Tom, Yano, B-Joo, Hansol, Xero, Sangdo start taking out those Hostiles on the other side of the fire.” Everyone nodded and followed Jooheon’s command. He ran over to Hyunwoo’s side and glared at the elder. “Don’t worry my ass.”

 

“Jooheonnie,”

 

“Don’t Jooheonnie me,” Jooheon shot the closest Hostile point blank, and it fell to the ground with a heavy thud. “I’ve been so fucking worried.”

 

“I am so fucking sorry, babe.” Hyunwoo’s eyes met Jooheon’s and he could see the tears in the younger boy’s eyes.

 

“I thought you were dead. I felt that vibration and I knew something bad was going on and I thought you fucking died.” He shot another Hostile down.

 

“Jooheonnie, I’m still here. I’m alive. A little beat up, yeah, but alive nonetheless,” he dropped his machete and brought his hands up to Jooheon’s face. “I’m still alive thanks to you.”

 

Jooheon grabbed onto the front of Hyunwoo’s shirt and pulled him into a hard kiss.

 

“Not that I’m not happy for you two,” Junhyuk said from behind. “But is this _really_ the time to stand there and make out?” He had just killed the last of the Hostiles that had originally been fighting Hyunwoo and Junhyuk, and looked at the two before making his way over to help Topp Dogg kill the rest of the Hostiles.

 

Minhyuk and Hoseok glanced over as they heard the commotion, and Hoseok nudged Minhyuk, “Told you all.”

 

Jooheon broke away from Hyunwoo, both trying to catch their breath. They heard a scream from behind them and turned around to see Timoteo on the ground, clutching his arm. Jooheon ran over to where he had fallen, Hyunwoo close by to defend him from Hyosang if need be. “Timoteo, what happened?” Jooheon asked, pulling a vial out of his pocket. He poured a few drops onto Timoteo’s arm and noticed the boy’s pained expression soften.

 

“One of the fuckers bit my arm,” he hissed.

 

“It looks pretty clawed up too. Can you feel anything?”

 

“No, I’m pretty sure the shorter one broke it right off the bat.”

 

Hojoon appeared at the entrance and scanned his eyes across the room, expression lighting up when he saw Jooheon. He ran over to where the alchemist was and gasped when he saw Timoteo’s condition. “I’ll take him to the truck with Nakta. Should I wait there for you guys?”

 

“Yes. keep an eye on them. We need to get out of here quickly and get those two back to my base so I can properly treat them. Make sure they stay stable and we’ll all join you momentarily,” Jooheon ordered. Hojoon nodded and picked Timoteo up bridal style, carrying him away from the fighting. Jooheon looked up at Hyunwoo, “We need to leave. Like, now.”

 

“I’ll go grab Topp Dogg, you incapacitate these human Hostiles,” Hyunwoo instructed. Jooheon nodded, and dug around in the backpack he brought for his extra magazine. He clipped it into his gun and pointed it over to where Sehyuk was struggling against Hyosang. The two were moving a lot, so Jooheon didn’t really have a clear shot at Hyosang. He took a deep breath, waited for Sehyuk to turn slightly left, and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Hyosang directly in the chest, and knocked him down. Very similarly, he took out Seogoong and Gohn. “Run to the truck!” he yelled at the guys. The quickly obliged, and Jooheon turned around to see Hyunwoo and Junhyuk leading the rest of the guys out. He grabbed onto Hyunwoo’s hand as he passed by and joined in the dash to get out before any more Hostiles could attack them. Kid Monster hopped back into the driver’s seat of the truck, and got the vehicle running in one swift motion. The rest of Hotshot and the X Clan piled into the five-seater cab, while everyone else hopped into the bed. Jooheon threw the seat compartment open and shoved the helmet and jacket at Hyunwoo, then quickly pulled his helmet back on. He swung his leg over the seat and started the motorbike immediately, handing his gun to Hyunwoo. “If anything chases us, shoot it,” he instructed. Hyunwoo nodded, wrapping one arm around Jooheon’s waist and poising the gun in his other. Kid Monster took off with a lurch, and Jooheon followed closely behind. Jooheon heard Hyunwoo fire the gun twice and sped up.

 

About forty minutes and almost all their gas later, the boys all arrived back at the X Clan’s base and piled inside. Minhyuk immediately ran into his room to go check up on Hyungwon, while Changkyun and Sungwoon came out into the main room when they heard the commotion. Jooheon started at Hyunwoo, patting his chest as he spoke, “ _We_ are going to have a chat later.” Hyunwoo nodded and Jooheon turned to grab Timoteo and bring him back to the infirmary room. Hojoon and Sungwoon followed closely behind with Nakta. Hyunwoo walked over to where Sehyuk and Junhyuk were talking and cleared his throat before speaking, “Look, I’m sorry I got you all mixed into this mess.”

 

Sehyuk held up a hand to tell him to stop talking, “Don’t apologize. You probably saved our asses from being ambushed in the middle of the night. We owe a lot to you and your clan.”

 

“I couldn’t just leave you guys up there blind to a potential threat. You might have done my guys dirty, but I’m not about to let you die because of it. If we want to survive this post-apocalyptic world, we have to work together.”

 

“Uh, hyung?” Jooheon popped his head into the meeting room. “I need scrap metal, like now.” Hyunwoo looked at him with a skeptical expression and led Jooheon up to one of the extra rooms.

 

“Have at it,” Hyunwoo gestured to Jooheon as he opened a door to a room full of metal rods. Jooheon gathered a pile of rods and held his hands over them. Hyunwoo watched as they melded into one and created an arm.

 

“I can't save Timoteo’s arm,” Jooheon explained as he fiddled with the metal arm in his hands. “Hojoon knocked him out with some herbals and is amputating his arm currently, and I'm going to attach this to his body. He's going to be in pain for a little bit when he wakes up, but at least he’ll be safe.”

 

Hyunwoo pulled him in for a quick kiss, “Go work your magic.”

 

Jooheon smirked, “It's science, not magic.” With that, he headed out of the spare room and made his way back down to the infirmary.

 

Hyunwoo returned to the meeting area and began to take charge of the situation. “Alright, Topp Dogg, you guys will be bunking with us for now. The third floor is completely empty, and there are still a few rooms left on the second floor, so space shouldn’t be an issue for you all. Rations and supplies are kept in the kitchen area, so whoever has that can put them there for now. Any kind of weaponry is kept in the closet under the staircase. Jooheon blesses us with water, so I’m calling tonight a bath night. We have one tub on this level, three on the second level, and two on the third level. All of them are full of water, so grab a bucket, soap and a partner and get all this blood and grime off of you. If you don’t have extra clothes, let me know. We burn all our old, gross clothing to help build fires at night to keep warm. Anyone have any questions?”

 

“You guys have soap _and_ water?” B-Joo exclaimed. “I haven’t bathed in at _least_ two months.”

 

“I never realized how happy the promise of a bath could make me,” Hansol added, pretending to cry tears of joy.

 

“Alright, get moving, guys,” Sehyuk ordered. His clan all nodded and dispersed. He smiled and clapped Hyunwoo on the back, “Thank you, again. I really appreciate all you’ve done.”

 

Hyunwoo waved him off with a smile and a nod, and Sehyuk followed his clan upstairs. Hyunwoo looked over to where Junhyuk, Kid Monster, Yoonsan, and Hojeong were huddled and waved them over, “I really appreciate you guys helping out with this mess. You didn’t have to. Timoteo was injured really badly because of this.”

 

Junhyuk shook his head, “Don’t worry. He’s always wanted to be like Edward Elric.”

 

Hyunwoo snickered at the remark and pulled Junhyuk into a hug, “I’m glad we’re all working together.”

 

Junhyuk smiled and hugged back, “Me too, man. Me too.”

 

Minhyuk was sat next to Hyungwon on the bed, relaying the day’s events to his best friend. “ _And then_ , fucking, I look over and Hyunwoo and Jooheon are mackin’ on each other like it’s the end of the world.”

 

“You’re shitting me!” Hyungwon exclaimed, staring at Minhyuk with total amazement.

 

“One hundred percent not joking. I was so shocked. But lemme tell you, Jooheon was taking charge like he was born to lead. It was fantastic. He just came in, gun blazing like a badass… man, you should have seen it.”

 

Hyungwon smiled at Minhyuk and grabbed his hand, softly tracing circles into his palm, “I’m glad you’re all okay. I’m glad _you’re_ okay. I was worried. I kept thinking about how you could get hurt, and it scared me.”

 

Minhyuk took his free hand and cupped the side of Hyungwon’s face, “I’m here, I’m okay.”

 

Hyungwon brought his gaze up to meet Minhyuk’s, “But I didn’t know that while you were gone.”

 

Minhyuk pulled his hand away to wrap his arms around Hyungwon. He placed a kiss on the side of his head and burrowed his face into the side of his neck, “I’m so sorry, Hyungwonnie. I know how nerve wracking it is, knowing your best friend is out and could get hurt or be killed at any moment. I used to be like that all the fucking time when you would go out. But we’re fine, I’m fine, you’re on your way to fine...”

 

Hyungwon’s eyes were beginning to tear up, and Minhyuk brought his hands up to his cheeks, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears that fell, “Minhyuk… I-I-I just…” he sniffed, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

Minhyuk leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching, “And you will never have to find out.” At that, he closed the distance between them and finally (finally!) kissed Hyungwon. He kissed him like it was the last time, even though it was their first time. He kissed him to apologize for every time he had made him worry and for every time he would in the future. He kissed him to let him know just how much he meant in the world to him, and Hyungwon kissed him back with the same vivacious ferocity. They kissed until they were out of breath, and even then, Minhyuk continued placing small kisses along Hyungwon’s jawline, his neck, his collarbones, anywhere there was skin showing. “Hyunwoo declared it bath night tonight. Let’s thoroughly clean you up and change these bandages. You smell like stale blood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so fucking sorry, holy shit. I didn't mean for like 5 months to pass before I updated, but like, I made this chapter a lot longer than the others to make up for it. I've been busy with school and work, and then the holiday hit and I was busy writing other things (Junshua took over my life, i'm sorry. I got mad ambition to have the most fics in the Jun/Jisoo tag here). I want you to know I've been writing this chapter for the past 5 months, adding a little here and there, but in taking too much time off, I have thought on the original plot and decided to tweak it! That's what you saw here at the end of the chapter!! ;) (also the Fighter video gave me some more ideas, which ended up being better than what i originally planned) I hope I don't make you all wait too long for the next update, but I can't make any promises with school being back in session and me doing client work all the time. I hope you enjoyed this! Topp Dogg and Hotshot are going to be very important in this fic, but we'll also get to meet some other groups soon! 
> 
> Also, a side note regarding P-Goon and his name change in the chapter. I felt that since he was introduced by his stage name that I would keep him as P-Goon for as long as it took for his real name to be thrown around enough to be associated with P-Goon. That's why he ends the chapter as Sehyuk. 
> 
> As always, leave a comment and tell me what you thought of this chapter!!!! You can also talk to me on [Tumblr](http://www.tayvengeance.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/tayvengenz)
> 
> header photos courtesy of [my lovely friend](http://takemehyungwon.tumblr.com/)


	6. BONUS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Jooheon and Hyunwoo discussed after coming home.

“I have never been so fucking terrified in my life!” Jooheon exclaimed. He and Hyunwoo had just finished up bathing and were currently getting ready to turn in for the night. He was cleaning up small cuts on Hyunwoo’s back and chest before they could get infected. “Man, we took technology for granted when we had it. If you had been able to call me… I might not be as much of a wreck as I am now. I literally thought the worst-case scenarios on my way to save you,” he dabbed his peroxide-coated cotton on a gash near Hyunwoo’s navel, causing the older boy to tense at the contact.

“Jooheon, I’m sorry I put you through that. I really am.” Hyunwoo placed his hand on top of Jooheon’s, which was resting on his chest.

“I'm still shaking, and it's been like 3 hours since we got back. You are not healthy for me,” Jooheon closed his eyes, trying to will himself to calm down.

“Hey, but you lead everyone flawlessly. You are a good commander. I've never seen you like that before, and honestly I didn't know you could be that intense,” Hyunwoo said with a smile, squeezing Jooheon’s hand for reassurance. “Also, who said anything about me being good for you.

A small smile creeped its way across Joheoon’s lips. He lowered his hand and sat down next to Hyunwoo on the bed. “You know, Minhyuk and Wonho saw us kissing. We gotta tell the kids about our relationship now.”

Hyunwoo chuckled, “You can’t call them kids, Hyungwon and Kihyun are older than you.”

Jooheon’s eyes disappeared into crescents as he laughed, “Yeah, but you’re the dad of the group, and they’re all _your_ children.”

“Oh, and so they become your children by default?” Hyunwoo was smiling along with Jooheon, wishing they could laugh and joke around like this more often. There came a knock on the door just then, and Hyunwoo grunted a, “Come in.”

Hoseok opened the door and ushered the rest of the X clan in, closing the door behind Changkyun who was carrying Kihyun on his back. Minhyuk and Hyungwon were in a very similar position. Hoseok cleared his throat before he spoke, “Hyung, Jooheon-ah, I think there is something that needs to be discussed with the clan.”

Jooheon looked from the clan to Hyunwoo, and let out a sigh when the elder boy gave a small nod, “Hyunwoo and I… well… we’re together. It started out as a comfort thing where I would just fall asleep with Hyunwoo to make sure his night terrors weren't bad, but then it slowly grew into a relationship. I can't exactly pinpoint when the change happened, but one day holding him wasn't enough and leaving small kisses on him seemed to help.”

Hyungwon glanced at Hyunwoo with a furrowed brow, “Hyung, I thought your night terrors had stopped.”

“They did, for a while. But once you got hurt that first time, they came back,” Hyunwoo explained. “Anxiety and stress triggers the terrors, so after that instance, I had a full blown panic attack.”

“Hyung, why didn’t you tell us?” Minhyuk questioned, his facial expression soft and concerned.

“I don’t need you guys worrying about me,” Hyunwoo shrugged.

“Well, tough shit. We do,” Changkyun challenged. “You do a lot for us, hyung, and we don’t really do much for you but go and get ourselves hurt and make you worry more than you need to.”

“We all came here to tell you guys that we don’t want you to keep your relationship a secret,” Hoseok said, keeping eye contact with Hyunwoo and Jooheon. “You can be happy around us. It’s okay. Please, stop trying to carry the load of The End on your shoulders alone.”

“You might be our leader, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help you out,” Kihyun added.

Minhyuk cleared his throat before he spoke up, “This seems like an appropriate time to announce that Hyungwonnie and I are a thing now.”

“Unsurprising, but thanks for the official heads up,” Changkyun retorted.

“So, have we all agreed to stop keeping things from each other and to be more happy?” Hoseok affirmed. All heads nodded in response. “Good. Anything you want to add, hyung?”

Hyunwoo looked at everyone in the room, “You guys are my family, and I’m sorry I’ve been keeping so much to myself.” He turned to Jooheon, “And I’m sorry I’ve been unloading so much on you. It’s not fair to you all that I am like this, but I promise I’ll start trying to be more open. I promise I’ll let you all know when I’m having a bad day, or when my mental health is out of control. Also, I want to tell you all that Jooheon did such an amazing job today. We wouldn’t have made it out of there alive without his leadership skills, and I wanted to take a moment to brag about how great he was. It was also extremely hot watching him take charge, like I was thoroughly turned on when he came barging into the prison to save us all,” Hyunwoo boasted, receiving a groan from the other guys as he went on about Jooheon. “What, you all told me to be happier and more open, so this is what you get. Me talking about how hot Jooheon is when he takes charge.”

“Oh my god, Hyunwoo-hyung has a power kink,” Hyungwon observed. The other boys broke out in laughter, while Hyunwoo just rolled his eyes.

“Go to sleep, kids. We’ve all had a arduous day and deserve some peace,” Hyunwoo commanded. He received mumbled “Yes, hyung’s” in response as the other boys shuffled their way out and back to their rooms. Hyunwoo looked over to Jooheon and cupped the side of his face, “What did I do to deserve you all?”

Jooheon leaned forward and captured Hyunwoo’s lips with his own instead of answer. “So,” he began, staring at Hyunwoo as he parted for air, “Me being in command turns you on, eh?”

Hyunwoo chuckled and nodded against the side of Jooheon’s neck, placing kisses in his wake. “This begs a bit of a problem.”

“Oh does it?”

Hyunwoo continued talking against Jooheon’s neck, “It does, because if I let you take charge, I can't watch you underneath me.”

“But,” Jooheon pulled away from Hyunwoo and hooked his finger under his chin, “what if you end up liking me better above you?”

“Okay, but what if we just switch off,” Hyunwoo suggested.

There was a bang above them, and some yelling was heard in its wake. Two sets of footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs along with more shouting. Shortly after, there was banging on their door. Jooheon sighed, “Come in.”

Hansol peered through the doorway, but was pushed into the room by Xero. “Ah, Hyunwoo-ssi. Sorry to interrupt whatever is going on here, but, we have a small concern with our room, and we think you should come check it out.”

Hyunwoo’s eyebrows came together, and he turned to look at Jooheon. He just shrugged in response and got up with Hyunwoo to check whatever it was out. They followed Hansol and Xero up to the second floor, and down the hall to one of the previously empty rooms. When they entered, they noticed a weird substance along the wall. “What is this?” Hyunwoo examined from the doorway.

Jooheon walked further in to study it. It was long and thin like a vine, but seemed fleshy and alive somehow. “It looks like it's… breathing?” He walked over to the window and opened it up, looking down the side of the building to see the same weird substance run the length of the outer wall. There was a big concentration at the base of the building that seemed to be the source of the veiny tendrils present in the room. “Ah, Hyunwoo, you should take a look at this.”

Hyunwoo walked over to where Jooheon was and swore under his breath, “No one sleeps tonight until we figure out what the fuck that is. Get everyone outside.”

Xero and Hansol nodded and began collecting their clan members. Hyunwoo sighed and rested his head on Jooheon’s shoulder, “One of these days, we’ll be able to have a night to ourselves. And when we do, boy you better prepare yourself. I'm going to romance the hell out of you.”

Jooheon smiled and patted Hyunwoo on the back before wrapping his arms around him, “But for now, we have to figure out what is going on with our base.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again. I was feeling generous and wrote a mini chapter to go along with the previous one. Just to get some stuff set straight and set up the next real chapter.


End file.
